Goshen County is searching for a man accused …

Goshen County authorities are searching for a 26-year-old man accused of disfiguring his girlfriend by beating her with a pistol and kicking her in the chest so hard she had to be intubated.

Andrew Atkinson, 26, had not been arrested as of Wednesday, although a warrant was issued for his arrest on Monday, the Goshen County Sheriff's Office told the Cowboy State Daily.

The investigation began at about 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 4 when Sheriff Kory Fleenor received a call from a social worker who said Atkinson's ex-girlfriend was the victim of a domestic incident, according to an affidavit filed Monday.

The woman and her child were both taken to the emergency room at Banner Health in Wheatland, Wyoming. However, the woman was later transferred to another hospital for better care. A Cheyenne Police officer interviewed her along with Goshen County Sheriff's Lt. Herb Irons, the document states.

Started in the car

The woman said she and Atkinson had been at a party at Atkinson's mother's house in Lingle the night before.

She and Atkinson left the house around 8 p.m. in a white 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Atkinson was driving, and the woman and her child were sitting together in the back seat, the affidavit states.

They soon reached Ty's Pit Stop in Lingle. Atkinson briefly parked the vehicle and reportedly got into a verbal argument with the woman.

Atkinson then began pulling the woman's hair and dragging her around, the document says.

The couple “apparently exited” the store about five minutes later and turned south onto Wyoming Highway 156, the document states. It is unclear if this detail comes from camera footage or other evidence.

The affidavit states that Atkinson stopped the car a short time later in a field and began punching the woman in the face several times. He then struck her in the head with a 9 mm Glock pistol until she lost consciousness.

He strangled her with his hands around her neck for about ten seconds, after which she lost consciousness again, the document says.

When she regained consciousness, she reportedly picked up her child, exited the vehicle and attempted to run north toward a barn.

Fled with child

She told police she was afraid Atkinson was going to kill her. She tripped twice while running and Atkinson caught up with her, the document says.

He picked up the child and walked back to the parked vehicle. The woman ran toward him and he let her hold the child again, the document says, although the child's name is redacted.

At that moment, Atkinson pushed the woman and child, causing them to fall to the ground, the affidavit states.

According to the document, the woman returned to the car and the trio drove away with Atkinson behind the wheel.

He drove to the 7800 block of 27th Street, where he stopped the vehicle again and forced the woman to get out. He then began punching and kicking her in the face and chest area as she lay on the ground, the affidavit states.

He got into the vehicle and drove south on Route 27.

The woman remained on the ground for about twenty seconds until she was sure Atkinson was gone. Then she got up and ran into a cornfield to the west, where she made it back to the highway.

The affidavit does not say whether the child was with the woman the entire time, but it says Atkinson's mother intercepted them and took them to the emergency room.

Whole body with bruises and cuts

The woman suffered a punctured or collapsed lung. Her entire body was covered in bruises and cuts, including her feet, the document says. She also had two black eyes that were almost swollen shut.

The document states that the woman's face was covered in bruises and appeared disfigured. She had received 15 staples and four stitches on her head as a result of being hit with a pistol, the affidavit states.

Medical staff inserted a chest tube into the woman's lungs, reportedly as a result of being kicked in the chest.

The child had cuts on his forehead, which were treated and documented, the affidavit states.

The settlement

Atkinson is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of strangulation of a household member and a fourth count of child abuse. Both counts are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Claire McFarland can be reached at [email protected].