CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A California man is being charged with attempted murder for allegedly strangling his pregnant wife at Celebration Park while his children were nearby, reports the Canyon County Sheriff's Office.
Court documents indicate that on Friday, Jan. 16, 32-year-old Robert Seviano Howell of Orangevale, CA, ordered his five kids to leave their family vehicle before moving to the back of the car and attempting to strangle his wife to death. Howell is said to have stopped once he thought his wife was dead.
In a statement to detectives, Howell said he left the vehicle after strangling his wife and looked over the Snake River for an undisclosed amount of time. He then returned to the vehicle, where he discovered the victim was still alive. He proceeded to alert park employees, who then called 911. Howell is said to have admitted to park employees that he strangled his wife.
After arriving on the scene, deputies immediately took Howell into custody while EMS personnel provided life-saving care to the victim.
Howell claims no argument led up to the violent act, but instead said that he choked his wife in a deliberate attempt to end her life.
The wife, who is 33-years-old and also from California, is currently in critical condition at a Boise hospital.
The Canyon County Sheriff's Office took custody of the five children, aged 1 to 14, whom they deemed to be in imminent danger. They have since been placed in the care of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
"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 Canyon County 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.”
Robert Seviano Howell is being held in the Canyon County Jail on $2,000,000 bond.
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