Man in cave is accused of slashing girlfriend’s face

Kansas City police are looking for a 51-year-old man who allegedly beat his girlfriend and slashed her face with a box cutter Tuesday night inside an underground cave he called home.

Officers saw the 45-year-old victim walking away from the cave on East 23rd Street toward Interstate 435 about 10 p.m. Tuesday. Her bloody face bore a six-inch cut on her left cheek. She also suffered other injuries, including possible fractures in an arm and a leg, police said.

She told police she had been drinking with her boyfriend of four years inside the cave at 8201 E. 23rd St., a warehouse and distribution facility. She said he used part of the cave as his residence.

Warehouse officials said the man rented space from them for his moving company, but he was not supposed to be living there.

The victim said her boyfriend left to get cocaine, and when he returned, he threw a blanket on her and punched and kicked her until she passed out. At some point during the assault, he cut her face, she said.

Officers went back to the cave, but the man was gone. Police found a pool of blood and a bloody box cutter at the scene.

Warehouse officials said the couple had previous disputes at the cave.

This story was originally published March 26, 2014 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Man in cave is accused of slashing girlfriend’s face."