A disturbing incident unfolded as a 52-year-old man from Farmington faced charges of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his wife multiple times following accusations of infidelity. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at their residence on Goldfinch Drive, leading to an emergency response from Farmington police. Officers arrived around 8:30 a.m. after receiving distress calls of a domestic assault, where a woman was reportedly screaming about being stabbed and unable to move.
Upon arrival, law enforcement found Mehdi Badaoui standing in the garage, accompanied by a witness. Badaoui was immediately taken into custody, and officers noted visible blood on his hand. The witness directed the police to a bedroom where the victim lay in a pool of blood, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Emergency medical intervention was provided, including the application of a tourniquet to manage bleeding from a severe arm injury. Hospital assessments later revealed the woman had sustained ten stab wounds, necessitating emergency surgery due to significant blood loss and critical injuries to her neck, shoulder, and armpit.
Within the home, investigators recovered a bloody pocketknife on the kitchen counter. The victim, able to communicate with officers, identified Badaoui as her husband and claimed he suspected her of being unfaithful. She reported a history of abuse, including beatings and knife threats. The witness, residing at the home, recounted waking to the sounds of an altercation and witnessing Badaoui attacking the victim, dragging her through the kitchen and into the bedroom. The witness pleaded with him to cease, but he allegedly expressed his intent to kill her and face incarceration.
In a police interview, Badaoui admitted to suspecting his wife of infidelity, revealing that he had installed a GPS tracking device in her vehicle and had been monitoring her activities. He confronted her on the day of the stabbing after noticing discrepancies in her whereabouts. Their argument escalated at home, culminating in the violent act where Badaoui claimed to have stabbed her three to four times, driven by anger as she attempted to defend herself.
Badaoui appeared in court for the initial hearing on Thursday, detained at the Dakota County jail with bail set at $1 million or $750,000 with conditions. A domestic abuse no-contact order was also issued to prevent any form of communication with the victim. His subsequent court appearance is slated for May 1.
Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena expressed shock over the case, commending the Farmington Police Department and first responders for their life-saving actions. She extended her thoughts to the victim in her recovery process. Badaoui’s prior record was limited to minor traffic violations. Support for domestic violence victims is accessible through the Day One hotline at 866-223-1111 or via text at 612-399-9995.