A Davenport man and woman have been sentenced to serve time in prison for a violent incident at a winery in the Village of East Davenport in 2022.
Christopher Mitchell, 39, pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery, and was sentenced Wednesday in Scott County Court to a period not to exceed 25 years. He also pleaded guilty to third-degree kidnapping and received a sentence of up to 10 years for that charge, court records show.
The sentences will be served consecutively, or one after the other.
Emilee Haberling, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of third-degree kidnapping. She was sentenced Wednesday in Scott County Court to a period not to exceed 10 years. She also pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree robbery, for which she also was sentenced to serve a sentence of no more than 10 years.
The sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time, court records show.
Both received credit for time served in Scott County Jail in connection with the case.
Violence at a winery
Police allege Mitchell and Haberling entered the business, demanded money from and began to physically assault an employee while they physically prevented her from leaving the business and from calling 9-1-1, according to arrest affidavits and a news release.
The two were arrested after a woman was seriously injured in a violent incident police say involved a robbery and kidnapping Thursday, April 28, shortly after 5:30 p.m. at Wide River Winery, 1128 Mound St., in the Village of East Davenport.
Davenport Police responded to the winery for a report of a man physically assaulting a woman inside the business, according to a news release from Davenport Police.
Officers found a woman who suffered serious injuries along with two suspects who were trying to leave the scene, according to the release. Officers quickly apprehended both suspects, the release says.
The injured woman was transported by Medic EMS to a Genesis Medical Center for treatment, the release says.
”I’ll do what a I want, I have a knife.’
The two suspects entered the business, punched the victim – an employee – in the face, slammed her head on the ground and dragged her by her hair to the cash register. Mitchell demanded the victim open the cash register and he took money from the drawer, police allege in arrest affidavits.
Police allege the suspects kept the victim crawling on the floor on her hands and knees, and held her by her hair while they continued to assault her by punching her in the head and slamming her head into the floor. Mitchell choked her with both hands and stopped her from breathing at various times, affidavits say.
Haberling took the victim’s cell phone from her hand, smashed it on the ground and disabled it, which prevented the victim from calling 911, affidavits say.
Mitchell demanded to know where the camera surveillance system and video recordings were located. The victim heard Mitchell tell Haberling he was giving her a knife and said, “If she tries to get away, stab her.” The suspects continued to assault the victim throughout the incident while moving her throughout the business, and not allowing her to leave, police allege in affidavits.
While Mitchell checked for the surveillance system, Haberling held the victim on the ground. Mitchell returned and said, “I’ll rape you, I’ll kill you, I’ll do what I want, I have a knife.” He left again and gave Haberling a knife, and said, “Here’s my knife, stab the b—-,” police allege in affidavits.
In affidavits, police allege the victim was able to throw a chair to escape the business and the suspects ran after her to stop her. They physically pulled her back in the building, but she was able to get away as she heard police sirens nearing the scene.
A witness saw part of the incident and called 911. As police officers arrived, officers saw the injured victim run out of the business, according to affidavits. She said the suspects were inside. The suspects were located inside the business as the only occupants, arrest affidavits say.
The suspects were uncooperative, and resisted being arrested by ignoring officers’ commands and pulling away, police allege. Officers had to use physical force, including a taser deployment, to make the arrests, affidavits say.
During a search of Mitchell’s person, officers found about $317 in cash in his sweatshirt pocket with some of the money wrapped in money bands and consistent with the amount stolen during the robbery. Both suspects refused to identify themselves, police allege in affidavits.
The victim was transported to a hospital with visible injuries including bruising to both eyes, a cut on her tongue, a left orbital fracture, broken clavicle and bleeding/bruising to the right side of her face, arrest affidavits say.
