Prosecutors say man beat wife while driving

A Salt Lake City man is charged with aggravated assault after police say he beat and strangled his girlfriend unconscious while driving home.

Mario Christopher Vigil, 32, is charged with repeatedly punching his live-in girlfriend in the face after becoming angry while driving home, according to court documents.

"(Vigil) then strangled (the woman) until she lost consciousness," charging documents said.

Prosecutors say that instead of finishing the drive home from downtown Salt Lake City to the couple's residence a few miles away after the fight, Christopher changed direction.

"When she regained consciousness, (she) found that they were driving away from their home, and (Vigil) told her he was taking her to Tooele to kill her," the documents said.

When the woman attempted to get out of the vehicle, Vigil would hit her and pull her back in, according to the documents.

"Christopher eventually drove (her) home, and the police were called," the documents said.

Aggravated assault is third-degree felony. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's office also charged Vigil with unlawful detention, a class B misdemeanor.

— Jacob Hancock