Lacey parents charged in possible attempted honor killing of daughter
LACEY, Wash. - A Lacey father and mother are charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping and assault after being accused of trying to kill their teen daughter in what the victim described as a possible honor killing.
Prosecutors say the Timberline High School student was attacked by her parents outside the school after she tried to escape the family.
Her boyfriend stepped in to try to help during the attack, and police say he was also assaulted and suffered injuries. His father, Victor Barnes, says the attack happened near a school bus stop, while the girl was trying to get a ride to a shelter for safety.
Disturbing video caught on a cell phone by a witness shows the dad choking her under a tree as other students tried to intervene to save her. Lacey Police say they have the cell phone video and are investigating.
"There’s dad. There’s the daughter underneath dad," said Barnes, pointing to the video that has since been turned into police.
Barnes says the video shows Ihsan Ali choking his teen daughter from behind, her face shoved in the dirt.
"That’s my son fighting for the girl’s life," he said, pointing to a portion of video in which his son was pulling at Ishan to try to get him off his daughter.
Court documents state that she reported abuse by both Ishan, her father, and her mother, Zahraa Subhi Mohsin Ali prior to the incident.
She also told investigators her parents had also planned to forcefully send her to Iraq to marry an older man and had threatened to kill her.
"Earlier in the day she was supposed to be flown out of the country. She ran to the school. She was afraid," said Barnes.
Barnes said the girl's parents were looking for her after she ran away to get help. Upon seeing her on October 18, the dad rushed out of a vehicle and yelled at his daughter in what Barnes described as Arabic. He says a different student who understood their language told the dad to leave.
"The kid said something of the nature of, ‘She doesn’t want to go back with you. Leave her alone.' Dad snapped," said Barnes.
Investigators reported in court documents that a witness said, "Ihsan started hitting his daughter, and then he punched (Barnes’ son)"…"who went flying onto the concrete."
Then witnesses told Lacey Police, "Ihsan started choking his daughter for what (the witness) estimated was about a minute while multiple people tried to pry Ihsan off of her."
"Her arms go limp. She’s no longer moving," said Barnes, recounting his son's memories of the assault. "He starts to see her eyes roll back, and her arms start flailing and that’s when he sprung into action. Because he didn’t want to see someone he cared about pass away."
Documents state that after her father weakened his grip, "she was dragged out of the headlock".
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Her mom, Zahraa, was then accused of attacking her as well in a similar manner as her husband.
"My son was able to grab her and take her away from mom," said Barnes.
He says his son and his girlfriend then ran into Timberline High School for help, which went into lockdown.
"The mother came rushing to the school, but she got stopped by security," said Barnes.
An adult bystander stepped in to help hold her father until police arrived at the scene and arrested him.
Barnes says an adult should have escorted the girl to the bus, rather than his son. He says the school staff knew about her situation, and also knew that she was on her way to a shelter.
"I’m glad he was there to save her life, but I need more explanation about why the adults were so careless," he said.
Barnes says his son and the girl didn't deserve the trauma they received at the hands of adults.
"High school for me is a time I’d never forget. It was probably some of the four funniest years of my life, and it’s unfortunate he would have to experience something like this in High School," said Barnes.
He says he also had to take out a restraining order on the parents, not only because he says they assaulted his son and his girlfriend, but also because the girl's mother kept showing up at his family's home, looking for the girl prior to the assaults.
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