DAVENPORT, Iowa — Two suspects were taken into police custody after attempting a robbery Thursday, April 28 at Wide River Winery and physically assaulting an employee there, according to the Davenport Police Department.
Christopher Mitchell, 35, and Emilee Haberling, 20, both of Davenport entered the business on Mount Street in the Village of East Davenport at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday before demanding money and physically assaulting a female employee.
According to criminal complaints, the pair punched the victim in the face, slammed her head into the ground, drug her by her hair to the cash register and forced her to open the register drawer. Mitchell and Haberling continued to punch the victim in the head as she crawled on her hands and knees, and Mitchell choked her multiple times. The victim said, at one point, Mitchell gave Haberling a knife and told her to kill her if she got away.
Haberling took the victim's cellphone and smashed it on the ground to prevent her from calling the police, and Haberling held her on the ground and said, "Keep your head down so I don't have to kill you." After leaving to check for surveillance cameras, Mitchell returned and told the victim, "I'll rape you, I'll do what I want. I have a knife."
After Mitchell walked away again, the employee was able to throw a chair at Haberling to escape the business, according to the complaints. The pair ran after her in an attempt to stop her from escaping and pulled her back into the building. The employee ultimately escaped when police sirens neared the scene.
Officers arrived to find the employee with visible injuries, including a broken clavical and a left orbital fracture, and the two suspects attempting to flee.
Mitchell and Haberling resisted arrest but were taken into custody, and the employee was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Mitchell and Haberling were both charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, interference with official acts and harassment of public officers and employees. Haberling faced additional charges of first-degree theft and obstructing 911, according to the department.
Police said the incident remained under investigation as of Thursday night.
WQAD News 8 will update this story as more information is made available. Download our app and subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates.