Labatte, 19, is accused of raping, waterboarding and beating his girlfriend of two months inside her dorm room at St. Catherine University, an all-girls school in St. Paul, Minn. His girlfriend escaped after three days and went straight to authorities, the complaint says.
The complaint alleges that Labatte arrived at the university to see his girlfriend on Thursday, Sept. 7, and discovered texts, pictures and social media posts that “infuriated him.” In response, Labatte is accused of taking her phone, raping her and choking her until “she was unable to breathe, felt lightheaded and saw stars,” per the complaint.
Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office
On Sept. 9, the complaint alleges that Labatte made the victim lie down in a bathtub and put a washcloth over her face and waterboarded her. That same day, he allegedly threatened her at knifepoint and said he’d cut her veins, per the complaint. The victim told authorities that Sept. 9 was the “worst of it.”
The next day, according to the complaint, the victim convinced Labatte to let her leave the dorm to go to the cafeteria. He returned her phone and instructed her to keep in touch with him on Snapchat so he could track her movement, according to the complaint. At that point, she reported the incident, then went to the hospital for examinations, per the complaint. He allegedly called the victim five times after she left the dorm and texted her asking why the police were outside, the complaint states.
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Inside the dorm, police found a washcloth and a folding knife, the complaint says. They also found the mattress on the floor, which the victim said was put there to prevent the bed from squeaking during the alleged assaults.
The complaint also notes that Labatte was on probation for violating a restraining order.
Labatte’s bail was set at $100,000, according to the probable cause statement. He appeared before a judge on Tuesday, perKSTP, and his next court date is scheduled for Oct. 9.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
