A man in South Dakota has been arrested for severely beating a woman during a domestic argument and using a pair of scissors to snip off her nipples, court records state.
Sioux Falls police arrested Tony Ledbetter, 45, and charged him with the vicious attack on his ex-girlfriend, a 39-year-old woman whose name has not been released, according to the Argus Leader.
Police say Ledbetter severely beat the woman, slammed her head into walls and the floor, tried to choke her with his forearm, and stuffed the corner of a blanket in her mouth. They also say he grabbed a pair of scissors and mutilated the woman’s breasts during the attack.
Soon after the attack, the woman broke free and ran outside to flag down help to call the police.
The victim is in a local hospital, but no information on her condition has been released.
Police spokesman Sam Clemens noted that local police see domestic violence far too often. But this case was extreme.
“The really disturbing part is he went and grabbed some scissors and sat on top of her and used those scissors to cut off her nipples,” Clemens said, as reported by KELO TV.
Ledbetter pleaded not guilty on October 14 and faces a $250,000 cash bond, which makes it likely the suspect will remain in jail as his case winds through the courts.
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