Marine Allegedly Stabs to Death Pregnant Ex-Wife on Hawaiian Highway as Commuters Try to Intervene

Dana Alotaibi was three months pregnant and planned to move back home with her family when her ex-husband allegedly fatally stabbed her after an argument on a highway

A woman was fatally stabbed by her marine ex-husband after an argument while on a busy highway in Hawaii, police said.

“It’s so sad, it’s very sad, because we have our plans for everything,” Dana Alotaibi’s mother Natalia Cespedes told local ABC affiliate KITV4.

She added that Alotaibi, who is survived by her parents and three sisters, was three months pregnant and had plans to move back home to Virginia.

On Wednesday night at 6:18 p.m. local time, drivers on the H-3 highway “observed a male standing over a female, stabbing her multiple times,” Deena Thoemmes, homicide lieutenant of the Honolulu Police Department’s criminal investigation division said in a press conference on Thursday.

She added that witnesses pulled over and tried to stop the male and also save Alotaibi. The suspect ran into the woods and officers “were able to apprehend him” once they arrived.

Once approached by officers, the suspect used “the same knife” to stab himself. He was arrested and taken to a hospital “where he remains in custody.” His identity has not been released, however, Thoemmes later said he was an active member of the military.

She added that the victim, who family has identified as Alotaibi, was taken to the Castle Adventist hospital and was later declared dead.

“It has been determined that the victim and the male were married, and had recently been going through marital problems,” Thoemmes said. “At the time of the incident, they were arguing before he stabbed her multiple times that caused her fatal injuries.”

The scene and 911 calls are still being investigated. Authorities are speaking to witnesses, and the vehicle will be “processed pending a search warrant,” Thoemmes added. The HPD and the Department of the Prosecutors’ Office domestic violence team are working to “seek charges against the suspect.” They will also look at previous incidents of alleged domestic violence between the victim and suspect, both documented and undocumented, “as well as social media posts that we have been made aware of.”

Honolulu Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

One witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, told KITV4 of the scene, “Whenever I got there, I pretty much froze out of fear and shock.”

He said others tried to perform CPR on the victim but quickly realized it wasn’t working.

“It was just her face, she just looked past the point of no return, you know. Could you imagine being stabbed in the neck and then watching as your life just literally leaks out of you, and everyone around you either doesn’t know what to do, or is too shocked to do anything about it, I couldn’t imagine that,” he added to the outlet.

Alotaibi and the suspect were married for nearly three years, her mother told the outlet. Alotaibi opened up about their alleged abusive marriage on social media. Court documents obtained by KITV4 show that he filed for divorce in November and it was finalized in June.

Alotaibi’s friends told Hawaii News Now that she was 13 weeks pregnant with her current boyfriend’s baby.

“He was afraid to reach out for mental health [help], because he was in the military,” a friend said. “But, you know, she was reaching out for help as a wife.”

The publication says the suspect is in his 30s.

In a statement to KITV4, Marine Corps Base Hawaii said it is “aware of the tragic incident,” and noted that the suspect is a US Marine in the 3rd Littoral Combat Team.

“Our understanding is that the Marine is currently in the custody of the Honolulu Police Department as their investigation continues, but has not been formally charged. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and Marine Corps Base Hawaii will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials as the details surrounding this incident unfold. The Marine Corps extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those involved,” it added.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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