Man arrested in Idaho for alleged ‘deliberate attempt to kill’ pregnant wife
A man from California was arrested at a park near Melba and stands accused of trying to kill his pregnant wife, according to Canyon County law enforcement.
Robert Seviano Howell, 32, was taken into custody Friday after allegedly strangling his 33-year-old pregnant wife in a vehicle with the intention of ending her life, a Canyon County Sheriff’s Office release said. He is being held on $2 million bail at the Canyon County jail on a charge of attempted murder.
Canyon deputies responded to Celebration Park along the Snake River after receiving a call about a domestic violence incident, the release said. Deputies were en route when Howell told park employees that he choked his pregnant wife, according to the release.
Howell was detained and first responders provided medical care to the woman, who was taken to a Boise hospital in critical condition, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office said.
The release cited court documents in saying that Howell sent his five children, all younger than 14, away from their family vehicle, but they stayed nearby as he entered the back seat of the car and began to strangle his wife. He “only stopped when he believed he accomplished his task of killing her,” according to the documents.
Howell then walked to the Snake River for an unknown amount of time before returning to the vehicle and finding that the woman was still alive, the release said. He then ran to find park employees, who called 911.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that Howell told detectives there wasn’t an argument leading up to the incident, and he didn’t attack his wife amid a “disturbance.” He said he made a “deliberate attempt to kill” her, according to court documents and the release.
Authorities declared the children — the youngest of whom is a 1-year-old — to be in imminent danger, and all five 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,” Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in the release. “ ... 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.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 7:33 PM.
