A mom who was dragged across the floor and brutally beaten by her ex-boyfriend is fearing for her safety and that of her two kids as his release date looms.
Charlotte Crea, 36, from St Paul, Minnesota, shared harrowing CCTV footage of the attack – in which she was forced to ‘play dead’ – that put ex-beau John Bartel, 44, in jail.
The horrifying footage shows Charlotte being dragged across a gas station forecourt when she tried to make an escape soon after being subjected to a terrifying attack in November 2020.
Bartel was sentenced to just 87 days in jail for the assault, which was prompted by his jealous paranoia that Charlotte was flirting with his brother.
Charlotte believes he is due to be released in September, which would be sooner were it not for previous offences keeping him inside.
‘I definitely want to move out of this area, I don’t feel safe knowing he’s getting out soon,’ Charlotte said, who has an 11-year-old daughter and a two-week-old daughter.
Charlotte Crea, 36, (left) from St Paul, Minnesota, shared harrowing CCTV footage of the attack – in which she was forced to ‘play dead’ – that put ex-beau John Bartel, 44, (right) in jail
The horrifying footage shows Charlotte being dragged across a gas station forecourt when she tried to make an escape soon after being subjected to a terrifying attack in November 2020
But he spotted her running across the parking lot and ran out, dragging her back to the truck – the CCTV camera captured the horrifying moment as Charlotte tried to fight her way free
She claims she was then subjected to a terrifying attack. Only after she claims to have pretended to play dead did John leave, as she claims they could hear ‘sirens everywhere from police looking for him’
Kindergarten teacher Charlotte (left) met John Bartel (right) at her local bar, and they started a relationship that went well at first – until he began to show signs of jealousy and aggression after two months together
Kindergarten teacher Charlotte met Bartel at her local bar, and they started a relationship that went well at first – until he began to show signs of jealousy and aggression after two months together.
The mom-of-two says she felt trapped and forced to stay with him for the eight months they were together due to threats he allegedly made whenever she tried to leave him.
She is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her second child and now fears for her safety as his release date approaches.
Charlotte said: ‘He is a very jealous person – the fight we had started because he thought I was flirting with his brother.
‘He started throwing me around, he punched me in my eye which made it completely swell shut.’
When Charlotte tried to flee, she says it just made John more angry and made her get in his car.
Charlotte said: ‘Instead he just turned it up and got more crazy.
‘He was saying ‘don’t you want to write a letter to your family’ and making it seem like there was no other way out, that I was going to die.’
When he stopped at a nearby petrol station, footage captures how Charlotte attempted to flee in the hope that someone would help her get away.
But he spotted her running across the parking lot and ran out, dragging her back to the truck – the CCTV camera captured the horrifying moment as Charlotte tried to fight her way free.
She claims she was then subjected to a terrifying attack. Only after she claims to have pretended to play dead did John leave, as she claims they could hear ‘sirens everywhere from police looking for him’.
She passed out from the concussion she had received in the beating and woke up almost an hour later, alone.
The mom-of-two says she felt trapped and forced to stay with him for the eight months they were together due to threats he allegedly made whenever she tried to leave him
She ran to a house across the street where she could see an elderly lady through the window and knocked on begging for help.
Police arrived at the scene swiftly and Charlotte was taken to Mora Hospital, in Mora, Minnesota, by ambulance where she then spent two days being treated for her injuries.
Charlotte said: ‘I had two sprained wrists, a sprained neck, bruising on the brain, my eye was swollen shut and cracked ribs.
‘The cops came to the hospital with a zip lock bag full of my hair from the gas station and it’s still growing back in some places now.
‘They gave me a neck brace and wrist braces, and bandaged up my ribs.’
John was finally arrested on Boxing Day and soon charged with false imprisonment with intentional restraint and domestic assault.
Charlotte said: ‘I felt so relieved when [he] got arrested I cried because I knew it was finally over.’
John Bartel was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault, of intentionally inflicting bodily harm on another, in February 2021 at Pine County District Court.
The other charge – felony false imprisonment with intentional restraint – was dismissed.
Bartel was sentenced to 87 days imprisonment but since he had already been in jail for 60 days it was considered ‘time served’.
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