A California man has been charged with attempted murder after authorities say he showed up to his son’s football game Friday with two butcher knives to allegedly murder his estranged wife.
Russell Matthew Husges, 43, arrived at his son’s flag-football game on Friday and charged across the field toward his estranged wife with “two large butcher knives,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The unidentified 40-year-old victim had obtained a court order against Husges weeks prior to the attack and had been watching the couple’s nine-year-old son play football. The child “saw his father and alerted his mother that Husges was coming up from behind her,” Garden Grove Police Department said. (RELATED: Gunfight Stemming From Domestic Dispute Leaves 2 Cops Injured, Suspect Dead)
“When she turned, she saw the suspect walking towards her, holding kitchen knives in each hand,” police said. “She immediately ran onto the playing field, screaming for help with the suspect giving chase.”
An off-duty Garden Grove police officer and the nine-year-old son “intervened in the attack,” according to the district attorney’s office.
Today @GardenGrovePD arrest Russell Husges after they say he tried to kill his estranged wife in front of their child. Happened at Chapman Sports Complex where suspect arrived armed w/kitchen knives; chasing wife onto field. Coach + off-duty police officer stopped him. @foxla pic.twitter.com/pBuJiT3BOV
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) May 15, 2021
“No one should be subjected to violence for making the decision to leave a relationship and no child should have to intervene to stop one parent from attacking another,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “The act itself is horrific, but to attempt to carry out this kind of violence in front of innocent children and their parents is the stuff of nightmares.”
Husges faces one count of attempted murder, one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, a misdemeanor count of disobeying a domestic relations court order and a misdemeanor count of child abuse and endangerment, according to the district attorney’s office. He faces life in prison.