Calif. man convicted of trying to kill son with sledgehammer while he slept

VENTURA, Calif. (TCD) -- A jury found a 42-year-old man guilty of attempting to murder his son with a sledgehammer while the 24-year-old slept.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced in a statement Sept. 21 that Anthony Nardini was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the attack on his son.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Nardini and his son, who remained unnamed, had "recently reconnected after being estranged." The two were residing in an unincorporated part of Ventura County and got into a physical altercation the night of March 19, 2023. Family members reportedly broke up the fight, and Nardini went out to his car. When he came back inside, the victim was sleeping on the couch.

Nardini reportedly "insisted that others in the house head to bed," and once they did that, he beat his son with the sledgehammer. Family members rushed downstairs to help the victim, who had a "severe head injury." Nardini fled the scene.

Deputies who arrived at the home reportedly located a bloody sledgehammer outside. Medics rushed the son to the hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma for several days. The son survived.

According to the statement, Nardini faces up to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He will be sentenced Nov. 1.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Stu Gardner said, "While this conviction will never repair the emotional and physical scars inflicted by his father, we hope that this affirmation by the jury will bring some solace to the young man who experienced an unfathomable attack on his life."

MORE:

• Father Convicted of Attempted Murder for Sledgehammer Attack - Ventura County District Attorney's Office