Man charged after assault at storage unit

EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man faces numerous charges after law enforcement said he brutally beat an ex-girlfriend.

Andrew Langley, 27, is charged with armed robbery with use of force, strangulation and suffocation with a previous conviction, false imprisonment, substantial battery, possession of methamphetamine, obstructing an officer and two counts of bail jumping.

He was in court Friday for his first appearance in the case. The judge set a $75,000 bond for his release. His next appearance is scheduled for July 30.

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to the Marshfield Medical Center to interview a woman who said she was attacked by Langley. She told the officers she was at her storage unit when Langley showed up and said he had hacked her Facebook account.

She told officers she responded with “What’s wrong with you?” and began walking away. Langley tackled her from behind and put her in a choke hold. When he released the choke hold he punched her in the side of the neck.

The woman said Langley repeatedly attacked her, including striking her with a handgun. During the assault he said “Bitch, you’re gonna put me in prison.” The assault ended when city workers intervened. Langley initially told them the woman was drunk. When she said she wasn’t, he ran.

Investigators reviewed video that largely backs up the woman’s account, though there appears to be a greater time between when Langley arrived and when the assault began than her account suggested.

The video also gave officers an important clue about the woman’s claim to have been struck with a handgun. At one point Langley walked away and placed an object under a nearby bridge before returning to the woman and attacking her again. When officers searched the site they found a replica pistol.

When officers found Langley he was wearing a wig as a disguise, something he was known to do in previous cases. When he removed the wig officers identified him, and his tattoos were later used as further proof of identity.

Langley has an extensive criminal record, including an open case in Chippewa County. The charge there is failure to report to jail for a five-month sentence after his previous conviction for possession of methamphetamine. Three previous felony convictions in Eau Claire County also involved possession of methamphetamine.

All of the charges are felonies, with the exception of obstructing an officer. Each also has a modifier for repeat offenders. The most serious is the armed robbery charge, which is a Class C felony.

Under Wisconsin law a Class C felony can carry up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.