Nebraska Walmart Employee Helped Domestic Violence Victim Escape Boyfriend

On October 28, 2025, a woman visiting a Walmart in Beatrice, Nebraska, discreetly signaled an employee and asked her to follow her to the bathroom. There, she told the employee that her boyfriend had strangled her five to six times earlier that day and had been holding her against her will. The employee alerted authorities, and deputies from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office arrived and arrested Justis Barnhouse, 31, at a nearby filling station.

What Led to the Store Visit

Barnhouse, of Nebraska, is accused of strangling his 47-year-old girlfriend from Hutchinson, Kansas, multiple times during the afternoon of October 28 at a camper parked at a truck stop near U.S. Highway 77, just north of Beatrice. He allegedly confiscated her cellphone to prevent her from calling for help, and the woman was reportedly held against her will for two days as she tried to retrieve her belongings from the camper. When the couple visited the Walmart, she seized the opportunity to quietly approach an employee.

Arrest and Charges

Barnhouse was charged with assault by strangulation and third-degree domestic assault. The Gage County Sheriff’s Office credited the Walmart employee’s swift response with enabling the woman’s escape and Barnhouse’s arrest. The victim was unharmed at the time of her rescue.

References: Walmart Employee Saved Woman from Boyfriend After He Allegedly Strangled Her 5-6 Times Before Going to Store | Walmart worker helped woman escape man’s abuse: Deputies