A man who was arrested in December after his alleged victim told someone at Lake Geo Truck Stop in Dexter to call 911 has been convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony, in Mower County District Court.

Sentencing for Ryan Arthur Sanvick, 45, of Sargeant, is scheduled for October.

According to the court complaint, Sanvick had physically and sexually assaulted a woman over a day’s time, following her discovery of him sitting in her garage with a shotgun early in the morning.

Over the morning, Sanvick beat and strangled her, tied her up for a time, poked her eyes, and threatened to cut her eyes out with a pocketknife. He also allegedly punched her in the stomach, and twice sexually assaulted her. At different times, he said he would kill himself.

The woman said she was able to convince him to take her and her young child to the Lake Geo Truck Stop at Dexter because she needed more cigarettes. She planned to grab the child and run behind the counter when they got there, but decided against that when he told her he had three guns in the truck.

When she went inside, she came across someone in the aisle and whispered, “Please call 911.” The person called with a license plate number, which led a Minnesota State Patrol officer to go to her residence. When she answered the door, she mouthed, “Help me.” The officer asked to talk to Sanvick, who came to the door and stepped outside with the officer. As soon as he did, the woman closed the door and locked it; Sanvick was then taken into custody.

Sanvick continues to be housed in the Mower County Jail.