Warning: This article includes content of a graphic nature.
A woman was in custody Tuesday for allegedly poisoning her estranged husband, cutting off his penis with a 10-inch kitchen knife and throwing it in the garbage disposal.
Updated Article: Victim in Good Condition
Lt. Jeff Nightengale said the crime occurred Monday night at the man's Garden Grove home. According to authorities, this was the first time police have ever been called to the home. No neighbors reported any signs of fighting or screaming.
"To me it's a shock," a neighbor said. "She doesn't look like the type of person who would do something like that."
Catherine Kieu Becker, 48, was booked for aggravated mayhem, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, administering a drug with intent to commit a felony, poisoning, and spousal abuse. She was being held at the Orange County Jail.
The woman, who was later identified as the suspect, called 911 to report a medical emergency at about 10 p.m.
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"The suspect called 911 and told responding officers that he 'deserved it,'" Nightengale said.
When officers arrived, they found the man tied to a bed and bleeding from the groin area. He told officers the woman had given him a drug in the dinner she had made for him.
Investigators said she tied him to the bed after he fell asleep. When he awoke, the woman grabbed his penis and cut it off with a 10-inch kitchen knife, according to police. She then threw it in the garbage disposal and turned on the disposal, police said.
The man was hospitalized at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange. He was listed in serious condition when he arrived, but his condition was upgraded to good Tuesday night. Pieces of the penis were taken to the hospital, but it remained unclear whether surgeons were able to reattach it.
The rope used to tie the man to the bed and a knife were seized as evidence.
Nightengale said an initial investigation indicated the two are married and going through a divorce. According to courts records, the victim filed for divorce on May 16, and is representing himself.
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