Who is Keanu Labatte? Minnesota man arrested for confining girlfriend to dorm and raping her for days over texts
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA: Keanu Labatte, a 19-year-old from Minnesota, was reportedly arrested for allegedly sexually and physically assaulting, and waterboarding his girlfriend after confinimg her to dorm over some texts.
The incident took place at St Catherine University in St Paul Labatte was arrested after the survivor managed to escape and inform campus security.
Why did Keanu Labatte torture his girlfriend?
Labatte traveled 140 miles from Granite Falls to visit a girl he had been seeing for two months, hoping to spend a romantic weekend with her.
However, the situation took a dark turn when he was "infuriated" on finding some texts, pictures and social media information on her phone, per the New York Post.
Labatte reportedly confiscated her phone and kept it away from her while he tortured her, preventing her from getting any help.
Prosecutors alleged he threatened to kill the survivor and her family while repeatedly raping and strangling her in the dorm until she became dizzy.
Labatte is accused of making the woman lie down in a bathtub with a washcloth on her face before pouring water over her until she was unable to breathe.
Additionally, he allegedly threatened her with a knife, informing her that he had previously pressed a blade to the throat of an ex-girlfriend who had displeased him.
He went so far as to pick up the survivor's arm to find "the right vein to cut deep enough so no one could save her," she told authorities.
According to the court documents, she said that the torture had left her "feeling frightened to the point that she would just lay next to Labatte and not move for fear of what he would do to her."
After enduring days of torture, she persuaded Labatte to permit her to leave the dormitory, to get food from the cafeteria on Sunday morning, September 10.
He agreed to this on the condition that she send him a photo after her arrival to confirm her location and then returned her phone, according to court records.
Instead, she immediately contacted campus security, who alerted the police upon observing bruising around her ear, face, and neck.
Has Keanu Labatte been arrested earlier?
Labatte was apprehended inside the dorm room, where law enforcement discovered a folding knife and a damp washcloth in the bathroom.
They discovered the mattress was on the floor. The survivor alleged Labatte moved it to took to prevent creaking sounds while he raped her, the complaint stated.
After his legal rights were read to him, Labatte declared, "I plead the 5th." Records from the court indicated that the teenager was already on probation for violating a restraining order filed against him by another woman.
He now faces five felony charges, including three for criminal sexual conduct, one for domestic assault by strangulation and one for making threats of violence.
These criminal sexual conduct charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years each in prison, while the domestic assault and threats of violence charges carry maximum sentences of three and five years, respectively.
A representative from St Catherine's declined to comment on how the abuse remained unnoticed for several days, citing the student's right to privacy.
“It is our policy at St. Catherine University not to issue any comment that would affect student confidentiality or potentially re-traumatize individuals," representative Sarah Voigt said.
Voigt added, "As this is an ongoing investigation, we do not wish to jeopardize the integrity of the case as it develops."