'Is my mom okay?': 5-year-old watching 'Minecraft' movie hears pregnant mother getting shot in head in sneak attack by his dad, who slid under open garage door

A 5-year-old lad who was astatine his California location watching "A Minecraft Movie" heard his large mother get changeable successful the caput by her ex-boyfriend — his father — aft helium slid nether a partially unfastened store doorway and attacked her. "Is my ma okay?" the kid reportedly asked the slain woman's caller boyfriend, who was astatine the home, arsenic the shooting unfolded.

"I request you to travel successful present with me," the fellow told Monique Aldridge's son, according to tribunal grounds helium provided astatine the preliminary proceeding for her ex Vaughn Boatner, the East Bay Times paper reports.

Boatner, 36, was sentenced to 35 years successful situation this week aft helium pleaded nary contention to voluntary manslaughter and attempted execution arsenic portion of a woody with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. He had been charged with execution and kid abuse, with some charges being dropped arsenic portion of the agreement.

Boatner was located successful Seattle, Washington, successful May 2023 aft fleeing from California pursuing the shooting, according to a constabulary press release. He killed Aldridge and changeable her fellow astatine her location successful Hayward, California, connected May 11, 2023, conscionable days aft Aldridge recovered retired she was large with the boyfriend's child.

Aldridge was changeable successful the head; her fellow was changeable successful the look and mouth, causing him to suffer aggregate teeth and portion of his jaw. Aldridge's lad "was besides wrong the residence and was recovered unharmed" by responding officers aft the shooting, the constabulary merchandise says.

"During the probe it was … learned that the 5-year-old lad astatine the country was Aldridge's and Boatner's child," the merchandise explains. "It is believed that Aldridge and the 2nd unfortunate were successful a dating narration and lived unneurotic during the incident."

Aldridge's fellow testified astatine Boatner's 2023 preliminary proceeding that Boatner snuck into the couple's location and attacked Aldridge successful their store portion her lad was watching the "Minecraft" movie successful an adjacent room, East Bay Times reports.

Aldridge and the fellow had gotten into an statement connected May 8 aft helium failed to clasp a doorway unfastened for her astatine a restaurant, conscionable 2 days aft Aldridge recovered retired she was pregnant. The 30-year-old told her fellow that she wanted to instrumentality immoderate clip to herself. Boatner recovered retired astir it and confronted Aldridge astatine a section parkland aft asking her to meet.

Prosecutors said Boatner was acrophobic astir his son's information and was arguing with Aldridge astatine the park. She had the lad with her and "fishtailed" retired of the parking batch without placing him successful a car seat, which further disquieted Boatner, according to his aunt, who was with him astatine the time.

That aforesaid day, May 11, Boatner drove to the couple's location with his aunt and entered the store to termination Aldridge and sprout her boyfriend. The aunt allegedly stayed outside.

After proceeding Aldridge being shot, the fellow locked her lad successful a closet. "I took him successful the country truthful I tin marque definite helium was safe," the fellow testified, according to East Bay Times.

"The archetypal happening helium asked maine astir was his mom," the fellow recounted.

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Boatner was sentenced connected March 19 and is awaiting transportation to a authorities prison.

"This is simply a senseless happening that happened," Aldridge's uncle, Lorenzo Smith, told section Fox affiliate KTVU successful May 2023 aft the shooting.

"We're going to person a beryllium down with him, explicate the circumstances and supply immoderate counseling," Smith said astir Aldridge's son. "It's going to beryllium a long, hard roadworthy for us, naturally."