A Minnesota man will spend two decades behind bars after repeatedly stabbing his wife and dragging her around the house because he believed she was unfaithful.

Mehdi Badaoui, 53, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in March to attempted first-degree murder, the Dakota County Prosecutor's Office said.

A probable cause arrest affidavit indicates that the Farmington Police Department responded to a call at a home around 8:30 a.m. m. on April 15, 2025 for a case of domestic violence. Operators heard a woman scream that she had been stabbed and couldn't move.

When officers arrived, they found Badaoui, who had blood on his hands. Officers found the victim lying on his side in a pool of blood. He had 10 stab wounds on the side of his body, including in his neck and armpit.

The victim told police that her husband attacked her because he believed she was unfaithful. She added that she was able to defend herself and called 911 after he stopped attacking her. She also claimed that he had beaten her and threatened to stab her on several occasions.

Paramedics rushed the victim to the hospital, where he needed immediate surgery.

Relatives told police that they woke up to hearing screams and saw Badaoui stabbing the victim. They witnessed him dragging her through the kitchen to a bedroom.

“The witness pleaded with the defendant to stop, but he responded that he was going to kill the victim and go to jail,” police wrote.

In a statement he made after being informed of his Miranda rights, Badaoui said he suspected his wife was unfaithful, so he placed a GPS tracking device in his car. He said he saw her driving somewhere other than work that morning, so he went to her and confronted her.

The victim drove home, where they began arguing. He claimed she started swearing at him, so he grabbed a knife and started hitting her after she scratched him in the face. Badaoui stated that he stabbed the victim three or four times.

Police found a bloody knife on the kitchen counter. Badaoui was arrested and taken to the Dakota County Jail, where he has remained since.

“This was a brutal act of domestic violence that could have resulted in the loss of a life,” Dakota County Prosecutor Kathy Keena stated in a statement.

“Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to victims and to holding perpetrators accountable.”