Man sentenced to 30 years for attack on woman in front of their son

Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office

Officials announced that an Ohio man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for trying to kill a Georgia woman in front of their 5-year-old son in 2015.

Joseph Tarik Davis, now 38, previously pleaded guilty to a number of charges in connection with the Feb. 12, 2015, attack on his former girlfriend, whose name has not been released, according to a statement from Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds' office.

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Prosecutors said Davis broke into the woman's apartment in Kennesaw, Georgia, while she was at work and hid in a closet. When the woman returned home with the couple's child, Davis jumped out of the closet and choked her until she passed out, according to officials.

When she came to, he stabbed her at least seven times as she tried to run after their child, who was trying to get out of their apartment, prosecutors said. Davis told the woman he was going to kill her, according to the statement.

He then took the child and left the scene before being taken into custody the next morning.

“This type of violence, especially against women and children, simply will not be tolerated,” said Assistant District Attorney David Williamson, one of the prosecutors on the case.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Davis angrily shouted at the woman as deputies took him from the courtroom, the DA’s office said.

The former girlfriend said her son still has nightmares about the attack.

Davis was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the first degree and other charges. After he is released from prison, he will be on probation for 10 years, according to the terms of the sentence.

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