In a chilling account of domestic abuse in Nebraska, a Walmart worker played a crucial role in helping a woman break free from her boyfriend’s oppressive grip. The boyfriend allegedly strangled her and restricted her movements, according to official reports.

Authorities from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office have charged 31-year-old Justis Barnhouse with assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault. The daring escape unfolded on a Tuesday, as detailed in a press release from the sheriff’s office.

The woman, reportedly 16 years older than Barnhouse, had expressed a desire to return to her Kansas home, just south of Nebraska. However, Barnhouse allegedly thwarted her attempts to retrieve her possessions from their shared camper, as stated by the authorities.

On the day she managed to flee, Barnhouse was accused of strangling her multiple times and confiscating her phone, thereby cutting off her ability to contact law enforcement, the sheriff’s office reported.

The couple’s visit to a Walmart in Beatrice, Nebraska, served as a turning point. Seizing the opportunity, the woman set her escape plan into motion.

The allegedly victimized woman “was able to get the attention of a Walmart employee” and she “asked the employee to follow her to the bathroom,” the sheriff’s office said. There, the woman “was able to give the employee information about what had happened earlier regarding the strangulation,” and the employee notified law enforcement.

Deputies with the Gage County Sheriff’s Office eventually responded to the Diamond T Truck Stop Camper Row on U.S. Highway 77 just north of the Walmart — ostensibly because they had been notified that the couple was traveling there.

Barnhouse was at the filling station, and he was arrested and booked into the Gage County Detention Center.