Bride-to-Be Recounts Fiance's Violent Attack Weeks Before Wedding

An Arizona woman is recounting a violent attack by her fiancé that left her severely injured just weeks before their planned wedding. Emily Byles, 30, told Fox10 Phoenix that Zachary Velasquez, her fiancé, stabbed and beat her on Oct. 5 in Glendale, Arizona. Byles had recently moved to Glendale to be with Velasquez.

"He wasn’t trying to just hurt me. He was trying to end my life," Byles stated, describing the assault. She sustained multiple stab wounds, including a cut artery, and was severely beaten. Photos from the incident show Byles with two black eyes, a neck brace, and cuts on her face and neck. She recounted that Velasquez had been using methamphetamine and told her he was a prophet, claiming he needed to kill her to save her.

Byles reported that Velasquez punched her and put her in a chokehold. She did not immediately realize she had been stabbed due to the number of times she was hit in the head. Her two daughters were also present and threatened during the attack. The assault ended when Byles' eldest daughter, age 11, called 911.

"She’s very, very brave, and I couldn’t imagine what she’s going through," Byles said of her daughter. Responding officers reportedly forced entry into the bedroom and found Byles on the floor covered in blood.

Velasquez has been charged with aggravated assault. He admitted to officers that he punched his fiancée and put her in a chokehold but claimed he acted in self-defense.

Byles is currently recovering and staying with a friend. Her daughters are staying out of town with her sister, as their home has become "unlivable" due to the aftermath of the attack. "My fiancé, the person who attacked me, is now in jail, but my children and I are still living with the trauma of what happened," Byles wrote on a fundraising page.