MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota man was being held on $1 million bond Tuesday after being charged with attacking his girlfriend in their North Dakota apartment, including beating her with a metal bat, pulling her around by her hair and trying to drown her in the bathtub.
Michael Karau, 34, faces multiple charges including first-degree attempted murder, assault and felony domestic assault, according to court documents filed in Clay County court. The documents show that Karau’s girlfriend had several broken bones, bruises across her body and clumps of hair missing from her head. She also needed 15 stiches in her lip and ear.
Karau was being held in the Clay County Jail with his bail set at $1 million without conditions and $600,000 with conditions. He applied for a public defender but was denied. Court documents didn’t show an attorney for him Tuesday. He is due back in court April 25.
Karau’s girlfriend told police at the hospital that Karau was drunk when he came home from work early Thursday morning, became angry and started punching her, according to court documents. As the attack escalated, she said, Karau stomped on her, bit her and hit her with a metal baseball bat. She said the abuse went on for several hours.
She said he also strangled her, dragged her around by her hair and later, when she thought he was going to help her clean up in the bathroom, tried to drown her in the bathtub. She said he took her phone so she couldn’t call for help.
He also repeatedly asked “how she wanted to go out,” and she feared he would kill her, according to court documents. She said that eventually, Karau passed out and she was able to text her brother, who came to pick her up.
The woman told police she has been dating Karau for almost a year and in that he had assaulted her at least twice to the point where she had bruises.
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