Michelin-star chef accused of battering woman calls victim from jail with 'inconsiderate' request
An acclaimed chef at a Michelin-star restaurant beat a woman so badly she needed emergency surgery to treat a brain bleed - then called the same woman from jail begging her to bail him out.
Jacob Bickelhaupt, 41, was hit with new charges of witness tampering less than a week after he was arrested on charges of aggravated battery for assaulting the victim for two hours inside her home.
The Michelin-star chef and owner of West Palm Beach restaurant Konro allegedly left the woman with a 'smashed up face' and horrifying injuries which required lifesaving surgery.
The woman had escaped to the airport when she suffered a seizure trying to buy a plane ticket. She was rushed to hospital, where she told medics she had been involved in a car accident.
Nurses called police because her injuries were not consistent with a car accident.
'I have nowhere to stay, nowhere to sleep... I need your help,' Bickelhaupt said in a voicemail left to the woman's phone.
Using an unauthorized device, Bickelhaupt called a number for his business which diverted to the woman's personal cell, along with his own and a business partner's.
It is understood the business partner alerted authorities to the voicemail, CBS 12 reported.
'Here is the deal, I know there is a lot going on, and you're in really bad shape. I'm going to be here for a very long time if you so choose, maybe a year,' he said in the desperate call.
'I'm not trying to sound inconsiderate right now, I really don't have a lot of time. I love you, please call that number,' he said in a second call just 20 minutes after the first went to voicemail.
Bickelhaupt asked the woman to phone the bondsman and pay $1,500 upfront, agreeing to cover the remainder of the $9,000 bail amount via a payment plan.
His total bond was initially listed for $90,000 with a 10 percent payment required upfront to walk free.
'I get out I have house arrest with ankle bracelet and no order to contact. So I need to find somewhere else to sleep, and I can't do the restaurant,' he said.
'I don't have any money, they took all my ID's and I don't have any shoes, it's in evidence.
'Zelle and cash app 1,500 and the bail bondsmen will pay the 9K and we'll clear out the rest.'
After authorities learned of the two calls, Bickelhaupt was hit with three fresh charges - two counts of witness tampering and one contempt charge.
Bickelhaupt is the chef behind Michelin-star restaurant Konro
Each new charge carried a $3,000 bond, taking his total bond amount to $99,000.
Bickelhaupt will return to court to face both sets of charges.
The initial complaint related to a June 2 assault on a woman who required emergency surgery to stem a brain bleed caused by her injuries.
She also had two black eyes, facial swelling and bruising from her shoulders down to wrists.
Police allege she was the victim of a sustained two-hour assault. At her home, police found blood splatter on the bedding, walls, and furniture.
Newly released bodycam footage of Bickelhaupt's arrest shows the chef sitting on his front porch as officers approach.
'I'm assuming she wasn't in a car accident because there was no damage to her car,' the officer told Bickelhaupt in the clip as he's discussing the woman's injuries.
'She had to go through surgery to save her life. Her face is all smashed up.
'One of two things is happening. Either she's covering for the person who beat her, or the brain bleed is affecting her thought process.'
Bickelhaupt simply said: 'I don't know.'
The officer asked to see Bickelhaupt's fists and the top of his hands before later informing him that he was the prime suspect and placing him in handcuffs.
Bickelhaupt's last restaurant, the famed Chicago-based 42 Grams, was awarded two Michelin stars before it was suddenly closed under a cloud of controversy in 2018, after Bickelhaupt had been accused of seperate and unrelated domestic violence offences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Teenager killed at Sol Duc Falls in Washington after slipping on rocks
An 18-year-old man has died after slipping and falling at a popular tourist attraction in Washington. The teenager, whose identity hasn't been released by authorities, was walking across the rocks at the top of the 50-foot Sol Duc Falls when he lost balance, according to the National Park Service. Witnesses told park rangers that the teen fell into the water and resurfaced at the bottom of the falls before fully submerging on June 8. The Olympic National Park Search and Rescue Team responded to the tragedy, using thermal imaging to scan the water as a ground team searched the riverbanks. His body was found pinned between two falls one day later, and the park was closed to initiate the rescue mission. On Tuesday, SAR teams collaborated with local authorities, including Forks Ambulance, Forks Swiftwater, Olympic Ambulance, Clallam County Fire District 2, the Port Townsend and Sequim Police Departments, and the Clallam County Sheriff's Office to safely recover the teen's body. Port Townsend Chief of Police Thomas A. Olson told that their department assisted with drones, but the victim had been located before their arrival. The National Park Service said that the rescue mission was complicated due to recent high temperatures and rapid snowmelt that created high river flows in the area. The teen fell in a dangerous area with 50-foot cliffs covered in algae and a strong whirlpool at the bottom of the falls. The area where authorities responded was also in a narrow canyon with a strong water flow. The National Park Service also noted additional hazards downstream from the area and said rescue operations would begin when the river conditions 'allow for a safe and successful recovery.' reached out to the NPS for an update on the search, but didn't immediately hear back. Deputy Coroner Rebecca Shankles with the Clallam County Coroner's Office told that the NPS is the investigating agency and information on the victim's identity would be released by the park. A post claiming to be the victim's cousin said the victim had just graduated HS and had been accepted at Baylor University. 'The son of a Pastor, he was out in the world for the first time in his life and paid with his life for a tragic mistake,' they wrote. 'Every parents worst nightmare happened, they got that knock on the door from the Police. 'He was deeply loved and the void his parents, his 14 yr old sister and grandma feel is immense. 'A special heartfelt thank you for the NPS personnel and all the teams of rescue people who found and recovered his body so his parents can bring their boy home.' Sol Duc Falls has an elevation of 200 feet with a hiking trail of 1.6 miles, round-trip, according to the Washington Trails Association. The falls split into at least four channels and cascade down a 50-foot, narrow, rocky canyon. As of Wednesday, the WTA listed the trail as closed to the public until further notice. reached out to the Clallam County Sheriff's Office for additional information on the case, but didn't immediately hear back.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Teen killed in horrifying attack while trying to feed pack of malnourished dogs
A teenage girl in Arkansas was killed in a horrifying attack while she and her mother were trying to take care of 30 to 40 malnourished dogs who were left to starve at a nearby property. Makayla Fortner, 15, was found dead at a home on White Oak Drive in Alexander shortly after noon on Wednesday, KATV reports. Neighbors said the teenager was trying to feed the malnourished dogs when they suddenly attacked her. Fortner and her mother, Stephanie Wilkie, had recently stepped in to help take care of the dogs after noticing their deplorable conditions. The teen was even trying to find permanent homes for the pack of dogs, whom neighbors said were not controlled by their owners and sometimes ran loose through the neighborhood, according to My Saline. Neighbor added that they had complained to Saline County officials about the animals multiple times in the past. 'When they moved in, all the neighbors were very upset,' Heidi Clay recounted of the pet owners. 'They moved in with a huge amount of dogs and a large amount of broken vehicles. 'These dogs were very vicious at the fence, to the point that no one wanted to let their children walk to and from the bus stop,' she continued. She and other residents also told the local news station that county officials had told them on multiple occasions that they could not do anything about the unruly animals. 'I had called Saline County and they sent a deputy and said that there's not any animal control in the county and there's nothing that they can do,' Ralph Murphy said. But following the mauling attack, Benton City officials said all 14 dogs seized from the property have been euthanized. Only four dogs that were locked inside the house were left on the property. Murphy, though, says he wishes something had been done sooner. 'It's just too late,' he lamented. 'So I think our government failed us. 'And if somebody had done something, then maybe this little girl would be alive.' The Saline County Sheriff's Office is now investigating the incident. Meanwhile, an online fundraiser set up to help Fortner's family has garnered more than $17,000. They were even trying to find permanent homes for the animals It describes the teenager as a 'beautiful, bright girl with the kindest soul who had so much life ahead of her. 'Her smile could light up a room and her laughter was the kind that made others feel instantly at ease.' Fortner was also 'deeply loved by her family, friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.' All of the money collected from the fundraiser will go toward funeral expenses, grief counseling for Fortner's family and support for them.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Shooting on Las Vegas Strip near Bellagio that killed 2 was livestreamed, police say
The two people killed in a shooting over the weekend on the Las Vegas Strip captured it on video while livestreaming to their shared YouTube channel, according to a police report. The married victims were identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Tanisha Finley, 43, and Rodney Finley, 44. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Las Vegas police said the shooting on Sunday night near the landmark Bellagio fountains was an isolated incident between the victims and the suspect, who had been feuding on social media since at least 2023. The suspect, identified by police as Manuel D. Ruiz, surrendered to authorities Monday morning at a police station outside of Las Vegas. Ruiz, 41, faces two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held without bail, jail records show. The Associated Press sent an emailed message Thursday seeking comment from his public defender. Ruiz told police after his arrest that he was acting in self-defense, according to his arrest report. The suspect is seen in the video livestream pulling a gun from his waistband, raising it and initially firing between five and six shots, according to a description of the video detailed in the report. One or two more gunshots can be heard in the video after Tanisha Finley is seen grabbing the cellphone that is being used for the livestream. 'The phone fell to the ground and remained still for a moment until a police officer appeared in the camera frame and turned off the livestream,' the report said. The couple's son was among the 911 callers to report the shooting, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. 'I heard gunshots around him," he says. "I think he might have got shot, so I was just trying to check and make sure, just try to see if he's OK or where he's at.' In his interview with police after he surrendered, the suspect said he also has a YouTube channel and had been livestreaming from the Strip on the night of the shooting. Ruiz told police began shooting because it looked like one of the victims was reaching for a weapon, according to the report. Police said no firearms were found on the victims. The shooting happened on one of the busiest stretches of the Strip. The dancing Bellagio fountains, which soar up to 460 feet (140 meters) into the air, play every 15 minutes on the weekends between 8 p.m. and midnight.
