A man, who barricaded himself in a Bloomington storm drain Tuesday afternoon leading to an hours-long standoff, allegedly sexually assaulted a woman the same morning.
Police responded to a report made around 8:30 a.m. Sept. 20 by a woman who told police Eli Swartzentruber, 37, had sexually assaulted her two hours earlier, according to Fox 59.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Fox 59 reported the woman said Swartzentruber came to her residence at 6:30 a.m. and asked her to leave with him to go “live underground.” When the woman told him no, Swartzentruber allegedly pulled out a machete and told her he would be back in ten minutes.
Related: [UPDATE: Man identified, charged after hours long underground barricade]
When he returned, Swartzentruber allegedly asked the woman if she “was ready” and began packing her items, according to court documents obtained by Fox 59. Swartzentruber then allegedly told the woman he had to return a stolen truck before sunrise, to which the woman responded that she did not want to go to jail.
“I’ll bail you out, break you out,” Swartzentruber reportedly told the woman, while holding the machete. “And the police will have to take me down dead before they take me because I got this.”
The woman told police Swartzentruber squeezed her neck, tried to kiss her, took his pants off and stuffed cash down her shirt, Fox 59 reported.
To get Swartzentruber to leave the woman then told him she had to go outside to use the bathroom. The woman reportedly grabbed her bag and Swartzentruber’s pants to slow him down as she left.
Swartzentruber was already gone when police arrived at the scene, Fox 59 reported.
