A Redding man who authorities say has been on the run since August was arrested after repeatedly punching and strangling his girlfriend before threatening to kill her and stealing her car, police said Thursday.
The violent hours-long ordeal finally came to an end when a bystander intervened, causing 41-year-old Jeremy Allen Roudebush to flee, according to police.
Officers first learned of the attack after responding to a home in the 3000 block of Flintwood Way about a report of domestic violence just before 7 a.m. on Wednesday, the Redding Police Department said in a news release.
The victim told officers she had been assaulted by her live-in boyfriend, Roudebush, officials said. She managed to survive the brutal attack but was left with a laceration to her face and bruising throughout her body.
Roudebush has three outstanding felony warrants and has been on the run since August, police said. At the time of the crime, he was on probation out of Butte County.
According to police, Roudebush had started physically attacking his girlfriend the night before. He allegedly punched her in the face multiple times with closed fits following an argument.
The victim said she lost consciousness for a few seconds when Roudebush then strangled her at least three times, police said. He also allegedly jabbed and hit her with a wooden bat and smashed glassware with the bat, “intentionally showering the victim in shards of glass,” officials wrote in the news release.
Roudebush is accused of then forcing the victim to sit in a chair, taping her hands together and telling her that he intended to kill her, according to police. Then he allegedly started demanding she empty cash out of her bank accounts before forcing her to come with him as he withdrew cash from ATMs at two banks.
“Roudebush told the victim he was going to use the money to purchase guns because ‘gangsters like him should have guns,'” officials wrote in a news release.
Then, he allegedly took the victim to the home of a mutual acquaintance and started punching her again before a bystander there intervened — causing him to flee, according to police. He allegedly stole his girlfriend’s vehicle, purse and phone as he left.
Investigators tracked down Roudebush to the area of Masonic Avenue and Lake Boulevard in Redding. He was confronted by officers upon leaving a Dollar Tree store located at 40 Lake Boulevard, according to police.
He fled into the store and tried running out a back door but was captured and taken into custody, officials said. The victim’s stolen vehicle was found in an area of Masonic Avenue.
With his bail currently set at $200,000, Roudebush was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, domestic violence, vehicle theft and false imprisonment.
No other details have been released by police.