A 27-year-old man from California has been sentenced to over 20 years in an Arizona prison for a violent attack on his pregnant ex-wife, which took place in front of her three young children.

On Wednesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren J. Granville sentenced Garrett Scott Headrick to 21 years in a state prison. This sentence follows a brutal incident last year, as reported by authorities. Headrick accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to charges of attempted second-degree intentional murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, and stalking that induced a reasonable fear of death, according to court records.

In exchange for the plea agreement, six other charges against Headrick were dismissed.

The county prosecutor’s office detailed in a news release that Headrick drove from California on October 19, 2024, to his former spouse’s home in Surprise, Arizona, near Greenway and Dysart Roads.

Prosecutors described the incident: “As the victim and her children prepared to leave for a soccer game, Headrick confronted them with a metal bar, forced them back inside, and assaulted the victim in the children’s presence. Inside the house, Headrick repeatedly hit and restrained her while making threats to kill her. He dragged her into the kitchen, armed himself with a knife, and strangled her.”

Prosecutors previously described Headrick’s attack on his ex-wife as an “ambush” sprung on her and her kids in which he “dragged” the victim “by the hair into the house.” Authorities further said that during the attack, he repeatedly slapped, strangled, and attempted to stab her — all in front of the children.

Police officers responded to a 911 call to the home and, after forcing their way into the residence, said they found Headrick “on top of the victim with his hands around her throat and slamming her head into the ground.”

Officers intervened using nonlethal rounds and were able to stop the attack before placing Headrick under arrest inside the home.

The victim, who has not been identified, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of “significant cuts to her hands, scratch and cut marks around her neck, and a brain bleed on the back of her head.”

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell released a statement regarding the incident and subsequent arrest.

“Domestic violence is about power and control, and it leaves lasting scars on victims and families,” she said in the statement. “This case is a reminder that abusers will go to extreme lengths to intimidate and harm. My office, we will continue to stand with survivors, hold offenders fully accountable, and work every day to break the cycle of violence in our community.”