Man arrested for kidnapping girlfriend, beating her up in her car

A man has been arrested and is being held on a $100,000 bond for allegedly kidnapping his girlfriend, forcing her to drive him to buy drugs and beating her up in the car.

Domestic violence experts like Mary Cunningham, who works for Rape and Abuse Crisis Service, said the high bond amount is something she doesn’t see often but is a sign that the law is starting to take domestic abuse seriously.

“It says that whoever this judge was realizes that this guy is dangerous and that he doesn’t belong out on the street doing the same thing to someone else,” Cunningham said.

According to police, Ryan Osterberger was waiting for the 22-year-old victim at her vehicle outside the Once Upon A Child in downtown Columbia on Aug. 22.

The victim said Osterberger had a hand in his pocket and told her that “she could do this the easy way or the hard way” and demanded she get in the vehicle.

True North executive director Elizabeth Herrera said there’s “no typical batterer.” She said it can be anyone but there are similar characteristics that these batterers or abusers will share.

One of them is that the person will use intimidation or violence against their partner, often using threats as instruments of control or abuse. In this case, Osterberger verbally intimidated the victim by telling her it was the easy way or the hard way.

The victim said in the probable cause statement that Osterberger had a “wild” look in his eyes, and she was afraid he was going to assault her. She knew he carried weapons and thought he had a knife in his pocket.

She got in the car, and Osterberger took money from her wallet and demanded she drive him to get drugs. He also allegedly hit her several times in the back of the head and in the stomach.

Stephen Wyse, Osterberger’s attorney, told ABC17 News that the victim admitted Tuesday in a written statement that “no kidnapping” occurred.

“That statement was attached to a motion for bond reduction in Ryan’s case,” he said Thursday.

Wyse said the police are investigating store video of the time during “this alleged kidnapping when Ms. Dietzel was alone at a grocery store before she called Ryan and asked her to help unlock her car.”

ABC17 News dug into Osterberger’s criminal past and found out he has a history of cases related to abuse. This past June he was charged with domestic assault and in 2015 he violated an order of protection as well. These cases always involved someone with the same initials as the victim in the kidnapping case.

Herrera said a history of violence should be a red flag for partners, especially if they’ve had previous police encounters for behavioral offenses that include assault or threats.

The victim said she was in the car against her will from 6:00 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 22. She went to the police the day after to report what happened.

Police could not find Osterberger and sent a warrant request to the Boone County prosecutors office. Police recommended charges of domestic assault, property damage, stealing and kidnapping. Prosecutors charged him Aug. 26 with kidnapping.

Osterberger was arrested Sept. 6 for violating his parole and for the kidnapping charge.

Cunningham and Herrera said sometimes the partner in the relationship doesn’t admit to themselves that they are in a toxic situation until it is too late, so family and friends are instrumental in helping people get out of bad relationships.

Herrera said you can do several things including opening a dialogue, showing concern, making observations not judgement or even just listening to the victim.

This is a link to the National Domestic Violence hotline and it is available 24/7.

The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence is also a local resource for anyone who needs help or knows someone who does.

The Rape and Abuse Crisis Service and True Northhavehotlines available for local calls as well.