SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, April 4, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The parents of a West Valley City man charged with holding his wife hostage in their residence have been taken into custody.
Ghulam Sediqi, 89, and Fauzia Sediqi, 66, of West Valley City, were arrested Tuesday. Both are facing a charge of harboring an escapee from official custody, a third-degree felony, according to probable cause statements from the Third District Court of Salt Lake County.
They were transported to Salt Lake County Jail with their bail set at $5,000 each.
Charging documents already had been filed naming Feroz Sediqi, 33, their son, as the suspect in the case.
Charges against him are:
- Attempted murder, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a second-degree felony
- Violation of a pretrial order, a third-degree felony
Feroz Sediqi turned himself in Wednesday evening, West Valley City Police officials told Gephardt Daily.
A probable cause statement already on file says Feroz Sediqi’s wife told officers that on March 8, her husband became angry while at their residence, and that she told him she was leaving him, then began to exit the residence.
“The defendant grabbed her by her arms and pulled her into their bedroom,” the statement says. “The defendant locked the door and she told him that she wanted to leave. The defendant punched the headboard next to her head and began to call her names.”
She tried to leave again and the defendant grabbed her jacket, pulled her back and told her “the only way you can leave is if you leave this earth,” the probable cause statement says.
The defendant reportedly told his wife that he was going to kill her and then himself.
She then told officers that the defendant grabbed her throat with both hands and squeezed until she lost consciousness. She then said she awoke on the floor and observed the defendant pacing back and forth.
“The defendant told her ‘now I really have to kill you,’” the statement says. “The defendant dragged her into the corner, placed one hand over her nose and mouth and placed his other hand around her neck, strangled her to unconsciousness a second time.”
Sediqi’s wife stated that when she awoke, she was unable to stand up, had a headache, her face and eyes felt swollen and she could not remember who the defendant was or what happened for a few minutes. The defendant then told his wife that he was going kill himself and she had to watch, the statement said.
“The defendant cut himself with a knife and his parents entered the room, helped him with his cuts and told his wife not to leave,” the statement says. “The defendant took his wife’s phone and keys to prevent her from leaving. The defendant had his family watch her when he went to work to make sure she didn’t leave.”
The probable cause statement for Feroz Sediqi’s parents said information from the U.S. Marshal’s office shows Ghulam Sediqi, the father, aiding his son from lawful arrest. U.S. Marshals have historical data showing the son being at his parent’s address in West Valley City “recently.”
“Ghulam has lied to U.S. Marshals and stated he has not helped Feroz or aided him avoid arrest,” the probable cause statement for Ghulam Sediqi said. “There is evidence that the Marshals have showing Ghulam actively aiding Feroz’s flight. U.S. Marshals have electronic evidence of this. There is phone evidence in the hands of U.S. Marshals also showing Ghulam has been in communication with Feroz.”
The probable cause the statement for the mother, Fauzia Sediqi, said that when a warrant service was being served for Feroz Sediqi at the parents’ West Valley City address, his parents were at the residence.
“The A/P (accused person), Fauzia Sediqi, approached the residence after the warrant service was conducted,” the statement said. “The A/P was detained and gave consent to look through her pink and white cellphone. The A/P gave information stating that no individuals besides her husband and her have been at her residence from the dates of March 31 through April 2.”
The A/P also stated that she had no contact with the wanted party, her son, for over a week, the statement said. It was found inside the telephone that contact was made multiple times with the wanted fugitive on March 31 via an application on her phone. The U.S. Marshals also had electronic evidence of the wanted fugitive coming and going from the residence within the dates of March 31 through April 2. The A/P denied speaking to the wanted party and stated that she had not seen the wanted party despite the evidence being presented to her.
The wife stated that the defendant’s family eventually left her alone in the residence on March 14, so she grabbed some belongings and fled the residence. She subsequently received medical treatment. She had severe petechiae, which is caused when tiny blood vessels break open in both eyes from the strangulation, the statement says.
Detectives found that there is an active pretrial protective order issued in the Superior Court of Washington that prohibits the Feroz Sediqi from contacting, threatening or abusing his wife. Feroz Sediqi was served with the pretrial protective order on Nov. 6. The underlying charge is a felony domestic violence offense.
