Deputies: Man strangled pregnant wife at park with their children nearby in hopes he would kill her
Published at | Updated at
The following is a news release from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.
MELBA — A California man is being held on a $2 million bond for attempted murder after being arrested by the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office following a domestic violence incident.
Robert Seviano Howell, 32, of Orangevale, CA, was arrested on Friday after deputies responded to an attempted strangulation call at Celebration Park south of Melba.
While deputies were en route, Howell admitted to park employees that he had choked his pregnant wife. Deputies arrived on scene and immediately detained Howell while EMS personnel began providing life-saving medical care to the victim.
According to court documents, Howell sent his five children, aged 1 to 14, away from the family vehicle; however, they remained close by. Howell confirmed to detectives that he entered the back seat and began strangling the victim with the intent to kill her.
Howell stated he continued strangling the victim and only stopped when he believed he accomplished his task of killing her. Howell told detectives he then exited the vehicle, leaving the victim inside. Howell stated he left and went and looked out over the Snake River for an unknown amount of time before returning to his vehicle.
Court documents state that Howell opened the door and discovered the victim was still alive and ran to find help from park employees, who then contacted 911. According to court documents, Howell clarified that there wasn’t an argument that led up to the strangulation and that he didn’t strangle her in the midst of a disturbance, but that he made the deliberate attempt to kill the victim and end her life.
The 33-year-old victim, also from California, remains hospitalized after being transported to a Boise hospital in critical condition. The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office declared the children to be in imminent danger. The five children were placed in the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
“Domestic violence is one of the most horrific crimes we encounter because it strikes at the very heart of safety and trust. This case is tragic. A woman was nearly killed by someone she trusted. It is our sincere hope and prayer that she fully recovers from this horrible experience. Unfortunately, a family unit has been destroyed. This is the true face and tragedy of domestic violence. I am extremely grateful the victim had the strength to endure and survive, especially for the children, thanks in part to the quick actions of the park employees, EMS personnel, and the deputies on scene,” said Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “No one should ever have to endure this kind of pain, and we will continue to fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves and bring awareness to this massive issue.”