A woman visiting a camper row near Beatrice, Nebraska, told deputies she had been strangled multiple times by her boyfriend and had been prevented from contacting police for days, until a store employee stepped in. The situation unfolded after the couple stopped at a Walmart, where the employee accompanied the woman to a restroom and then alerted authorities. Deputies arrested 31-year-old Justis Barnhouse on charges that include assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault with priors.
Deputies responding that evening found the woman from Hutchinson, Kansas, visibly shaken and able to describe repeated strangulation earlier in the day. She said Barnhouse had taken her phone to stop her from calling for help, and she had been blocked from leaving while trying to retrieve her things from a camper. That combination of control and violence is unfortunately familiar in domestic abuse cases and highlights how small actions by bystanders can change the outcome.
Barnhouse’s alleged behavior escalated over more than a single confrontation, according to the woman’s account to officers who arrived at the Diamond T Truck Stop Camper Row on US HWY 77. She said the strangulations occurred five to six times that afternoon, a detail that drove deputies to pursue immediate arrest once they confirmed the scene. Law enforcement located Barnhouse back at the camper area and took him into custody without reports of further incident at the moment of arrest.
Barnhouse didn’t let her leave for the previous two days, as she was trying to get her belongings from the camper and return home to Kansas, officials added.
The quick thinking of a Walmart employee made the difference in this case, officials said, when the woman quietly asked the worker to follow her into a restroom. Inside, she gave the employee details about the strangulation and the pattern of control, and that worker then notified law enforcement. That tip put officers on the path to the camper row and allowed deputies to act on information they otherwise would not have had.
Once deputies arrived and took statements, they booked Barnhouse into the county detention center on the strangulation charge and a third-degree domestic assault charge that cited prior incidents. Jail records showed he remained in custody the following morning as the legal process began. Charges that allege strangulation are treated seriously due to the high risk of severe injury or death, and prior offenses can increase penalties and the urgency of prosecutors.
For the woman, the intervention was a narrow escape from a situation that had been building over days, she told deputies, and it underscores how victims often need someone to notice and act. Her effort to get attention while at a public store was risky, but it was the right move to reach a person willing to help and then law enforcement. Now she has an official record to support any protective measures and to push for accountability.
Neighbors, truck stop patrons, and staff at public stores can find themselves in moments where a simple follow or a quiet check-in changes everything, law enforcement sources noted. Encouraging people to pay attention and to contact authorities when someone seems trapped or controlled can prevent escalation and save lives. This incident also serves as a reminder that victims may appear calm or compliant, and persistence from bystanders can be essential.
Investigators will use the woman’s statements, any witness accounts, and available evidence from the camper row to build the case as it moves through the county system. Charges like assault by strangulation carry added weight because of how quickly strangulation can cause lasting harm, and courts often factor prior incidents into bail and sentencing considerations. For now, the focus is on ensuring the woman’s safety and letting the legal process work through the allegations and recorded history.
