A father of two was almost decapitated in entrance of his spouse and left in crucial situation by an axe-wielding menace because the couple had been in the course of a cross-country journey dwelling — one 12 months after their son’s dying.
Jacob Sofa, 32, was sitting on a bus cease bench together with his spouse Kristen in Tuscon, Arizona when 25-year-old Daniel Michael confronted the pair on April 5.
Michael was allegedly carrying a hatchet by means of Tuscon’s downtown space and commenced yelling on the couple, KOLD reported, citing courtroom data.
“Seeing your husband get almost decapitated and being the only one to help like it’s, hard,” Kristen Sofa informed the outlet.
She recalled telling the stranger they had been simply leaving as her husband bent right down to seize their luggage when Michael launched his horrific assault.
“I’m still in shock,” Kristen Sofa mentioned.
The ruthless brute reduce an artery in Sofa’s neck in half and struck his cranium.
The bloody assault befell a mile from the College of Arizona.
Sofa was rushed to close by Banner College Medical Middle, the place he underwent surgical procedure and was positioned on life assist.
His household fears he received’t survive his accidents after docs identified him with an anoxic mind damage precipitated when the mind is disadvantaged of oxygen for an prolonged interval.
“He’s not expected to make it right now,” Sofa’s youthful brother Luke mentioned outdoors the hospital days after the assault. “We’ve just been taking it how we can.”
The couple, who had been married for 11 years, had been dwelling in Los Angeles for almost a 12 months after the stillbirth of their son in Could 2024.
“We were coming home because we just couldn’t get it together like we just needed our family,” Kristen mentioned.
The 2 had been on their approach dwelling to Arab, Ala. the place their 13- and 15-year-old daughters had been ready for them.
They’d been touring by bus and had been ready at 6 Avenue and Broadway station for the following leg of their journey.
“He was a very non-confrontational person,” Kristen Sofa mentioned. “He wasn’t aggressive. He was kind, he was so kind.”
Michael was recognized by police by means of safety footage and was captured three days after the assault.
He admitted to being within the space however denied attacking Sofa when police first questioned him.
Officers found a hatchet and the clothes worn by the attacker in Michael’s dwelling.
The accused brute claimed to have been ingesting and didn’t keep in mind any contact with Sofa.
Sofa’s brother blasted the suspected attacker for his brutal actions.
“If you’re going downtown when you’re drunk carrying a large machete like that you have no other intentions other than to cause harm to somebody,” Luke Sofa informed KOLD. “He went down there looking for trouble and it just so happens to be my brother who is not going to make it home from this.”
Michael was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, the outlet reported, citing courtroom data.
Officers additionally famous heavier costs will probably be filed if Sofa succumbs to his accidents, together with a state murder cost.
Michael is being held in Pima County Jail on a $1 million bond, in accordance with jail data.
