Chesterfield Township Woman Testifies Against Ex-Boyfriend Accused of Attempted Murder

A Chesterfield Township woman, who was allegedly choked and ordered into a Christmas tree bag last April, testified Thursday against her ex-boyfriend.

Charlotte Ventimiglia spoke of the attack in 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore during the preliminary exam against Jonathan Elbers, 23 of Tuscola County.

Elbers--who led police on an extensive manhunt for three days--faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of felony charges, including assault with intent to murder, two charges of first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment and assaulting an officer causing injury.

The 20-year-old woman was chatting on Skype with her boyfriend, who lives out of state, around 1 a.m. April 5 when Elbers allegedly barged into her home in the 23 Mile and Sass area. After becoming enraged, he started to choke her, authorities said.

“He said he’d kill me, twice,” Ventimiglia testified of the ordeal, according to The Macomb Daily. “He said he would put a shell in his head and my head, too.”

The preliminary exam was abruptly adjourned when Ventimiglia became sick in court, but she will not need to take the stand again because her testimony was nearly complete, the newspaper reported.

During the attack in the basement of her home on Nicolette Drive, she was able to break free and grab a porcelain statue, striking him in the head. Injured, he fled toward the stairway, struggled with responding police officers and then ran away, police said.

A loaded rifle allegedly stolen from his employer and duct tape were found in his truck parked nearby.

He eluded police by traveling on foot through woods and water, breaking into a house and eventually was caught hiding in a deer blind, authorities said.

He has been held on a $2-million bond. More witnesses are expected to testify in September in this case.