Bride-to-Be Survives Alleged Scissors Attack by Fiancé Just Weeks Before Their Wedding

A woman who was preparing to marry her fiancé was left fighting for her life after he allegedly attacked her with a pair of scissors inside their Arizona home, just weeks before their planned wedding. Her 11-year-old daughter’s desperate call to 911 brought police to the scene and may have saved her life.

Emily Byles, a 30-year-old mother of two, said the attack happened on October 5 at the couple’s home in Glendale, Arizona. She told investigators that her fiancé, Zachary Velasquez, allegedly stabbed her in the face and neck and repeatedly struck her during the assault.

According to police documents, Byles’ eldest daughter called emergency services after hearing screaming coming from her parents’ bedroom. When officers arrived, they heard Byles shouting for help and forced their way inside.

They found Byles lying on her back, covered in blood, while Velasquez was nearby with blood on his hands, according to the arrest documents.

Byles was rushed to hospital in critical condition. She suffered multiple injuries, including a wound that damaged her vertebral artery and required surgery.

In an interview with FOX 10 Phoenix, Byles said she believed her fiancé had been trying to kill her. She described being struck repeatedly in the head and said the experience felt like an out-of-body experience.

Police records say Byles told investigators that Velasquez had allegedly been using methamphetamine and claimed to be a prophet. She alleged that he told her it was God’s plan for her to die.

The couple reportedly began arguing after Byles saw pictures of other women on Velasquez’s phone. According to the police account, he allegedly ordered her to lie down and threatened to kill her if she got up again.

Velasquez gave investigators a different version of events. Police documents say he acknowledged putting Byles in a chokehold and punching her, but claimed he had acted in self-defense.

The 11-year-old girl’s decision to call 911 was crucial. Byles later said her fiancé had also threatened her daughters, and she credited her eldest child’s actions with helping prevent further violence.

The aftermath has been devastating for the family. Byles said the home was left unlivable because of the blood at the scene. While she recovers at a friend’s house, her daughters have been staying with their aunt.

Velasquez was arrested and faces several felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct, intimidation and reckless handling of a weapon. He remains accused, and the allegations have yet to be resolved in court.

For Byles, the future she had been planning changed in a single night. Instead of preparing for her wedding, she is now concentrating on recovering and finding a safe new home for herself and her children.