Vaughn Boatner received a 35-year prison sentence for killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend Monique Aldridge and wounding her new boyfriend in Hayward, California. The attack occurred in May 2023 when Boatner slid under a partially open garage door while their 5-year-old son watched a movie nearby. Boatner pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder as part of a plea deal.
On March 19, Vaughn Boatner, 36, was sentenced to 35 years in state prison after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder, according to court records from Alameda County. He had originally faced charges of murder and child abuse, which were dropped under the agreement with the district attorney's office. Boatner awaits transfer to a state facility following the sentencing this week. The incident took place on May 11, 2023, at Aldridge's home in Hayward, California. Boatner, Aldridge's ex-boyfriend and father of their 5-year-old son, entered the garage by sliding under a partially open door. He shot 30-year-old Monique Aldridge, who was pregnant with her new boyfriend's child, in the head, killing her instantly. Her boyfriend suffered gunshot wounds to the face and mouth, losing multiple teeth and part of his jaw. Aldridge's son, inside the residence watching 'A Minecraft Movie' in an adjacent room, heard the shots. He asked his mother's boyfriend, 'Is my mom okay?' The boyfriend testified at Boatner's 2023 preliminary hearing that he locked the boy in a room for safety, recounting, 'I took him in the room so I can make sure he was safe.' Responding officers found the child unharmed. Boatner fled the scene and was located in Seattle, Washington, later that month, per a Hayward Police Department press release. Leading up to the attack, Aldridge and her boyfriend had argued on May 8 after learning of her pregnancy. Boatner confronted her at a park that day with their son present, expressing concerns over the boy's safety. He returned to the home with his aunt, who remained outside. Aldridge's uncle, Lorenzo Smith, described the event as 'senseless' in a 2023 interview with KTVU, noting the family planned counseling for the child amid a 'long, hard road.'