Man travels from out of state to ‘ambush’ ex in front of her kids, AZ officials say
A man accused of driving from California to Arizona and trying to kill his ex-wife in an “ambush” in front of her children has been indicted, prosecutors say.
A grand jury indicted Garrett Scott Headrick, 26, on multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping, in relation to the October attack, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a Nov. 5 news release.
Headrick pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, online court records show.
McClatchy News could not immediately reach his attorney for comment on Nov. 6.
As the woman and her children were leaving their home on Oct. 19, they encountered Headrick, who prosecutors say traveled from out of state to Surprise.
Headrick is accused of dragging his ex-wife “by the hair into the house, where he repeatedly slapped, strangled, and attempted to stab her all in front of the children,” according to prosecutors.
Officers arrived at the home after a neighbor called 911 to say they saw a man drag a woman inside, the Surprise Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Officers knocked on the front door and announced they were outside, according to police.
“They heard a woman screaming for help from inside,” police said.
Once officers forced their way into the house, “they found a man sitting on top of a woman, assaulting her,” police said.
To stop the attack, officers hit Headrick using “multiple less-lethal bean bag-type rounds,” according to police.
Officers later found “multiple knives on the floor near” Headrick, police said.
The woman was in stable condition after being taken to a hospital for her injuries, police said.
Headrick was taken into custody and booked into jail, police said.
He is being “held on a $500,000 cash-only bond,” according to prosecutors.
Surprise is about a 30-mile drive northwest from Phoenix.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Man travels from out of state to ‘ambush’ ex in front of her kids, AZ officials say."
