SANDY, Utah, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A Utah woman whose boyfriend allegedly held her and her 17-month-old son hostage, beat her and choked her, got help by posting a plea on Facebook, police said.
Police said Troy Critchfield, 33, allegedly held the woman and the couple's son and took her cellphone in their home in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City, KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, reported.
The woman managed to grab her laptop Christmas Eve and went to a closet where she wrote on Facebook: "Hello, is anyone out there? I'm having serious problems and me and [her son] will be dead by morning."
Her friends led police to the home, where officers say they found her bruised and bloody.
Documents stated the woman said Critchfield had beaten, choked and sodomized her and had "thrown" her 17-month-old son, who also was bruised
Critchfield was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, sodomy and child abuse.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Critchfield was convicted last year of a felony assault against the woman. He was sentenced in February to 120 days in jail and three years of probation.
Critchfield was being held without bail in Salt Lake County jail.
