Man accused of brutally beating a Kearney woman involved in crash, now in custody

KEARNEY, Neb. — The man wanted on charges of brutally beating a Kearney woman is in custody after police say he was involved in a car accident.

The Kearney Police Department says the Nebraska State Patrol responded to an accident south of the Alda interchange around 10:30 Friday morning. According to a news release, a pickup driven by 37-year-old Justin Hadenfeldt collided with a semi-tractor and trailer. An ambulance transported him to a hospital for treatment.

Hadenfeldt was on the run from police after being accused of entering a woman’s home in Kearney on Wednesday morning and beating her in front of her kids until she was unconscious. He then fled the scene. The 37-year-old victim was hospitalized with serious injuries. On social media, Kearney Police Chief Bryan Waugh described the attack as “an incredibly brutal assault.”

Hadenfeldt faces first-degree assault, strangulation and burglary charges. Authorities are continuing to investigate the alleged assault. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police.

Wednesday’s incident is far from Hadenfeldt’s first run-in with law enforcement. He was charged with burglarizing a woman’s home in O’Neill in 2018. Police say he later led officers on a high-speed chase through residential neighborhoods trying to avoid arrest. Hadenfeldt was convicted of assaulting a fellow jail inmate in 2019.