A California man, aged 32, faces serious allegations of attempting to murder his pregnant wife in an Idaho park, reportedly by strangling her in the car’s backseat as their five children were nearby.

Last week, Robert Seviano Howell was apprehended and charged with felony attempted murder, as confirmed by local authorities.

The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office released a statement revealing that deputies were dispatched to Celebration Park in Melba, Idaho, following reports of an attempted strangulation. Before deputies arrived, Howell allegedly confessed to park staff that he had choked his pregnant wife.

Upon reaching the scene, deputies quickly arrested Howell, while Emergency Medical Services personnel provided urgent care to the victim. She was then rushed to a Boise hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.

According to court documents filed recently, Howell admitted to strangling his wife with the intention of ending her life.

Howell allegedly said that after arriving at the park with his wife and five children, he sent the kids “away from the family vehicle.” However, the children, who range in age from 1 to 14, “remained close by” the car. Howell then got into the backseat of the car “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,” the release states. “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.”

When talking to authorities, Howell allegedly “clarified” that he and his wife had not been arguing prior to the attack and “he did not strangle her in the midst of a disturbance.” Rather, Howell said he “made the deliberate attempt to kill the victim and end her life.”

Howell’s children were found to be in “imminent danger” by the sheriff’s office and were placed into 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,” Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in a statement. “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.”