Calif. Woman 'Bobbitts' Husband

A Southern California woman prepared a drugged dinner for her estranged husband and then tied him to a bed, cut off his penis, and ground it up in the garbage disposal, police say. Catherine Kieu Becker, 48, was arrested after she called 911 and told police what she had done, AP reports. Her husband underwent emergency surgery and is expected to survive. Investigators say he was conscious when his penis was removed. The couple had been married for a little more than a year when the husband initiated divorce proceedings in May, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Becker is being held on $1 million bail and faces a variety of charges, the most serious of which, "aggravated mayhem," is punishable by up to life in prison. "The intention by this person was to permanently deprive this victim of his genitalia," said a police spokesman. In 1993 Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis with a knife and tossed it out of the window of her car. It was retrieved and surgically reattached to John Wayne Bobbtit. Lorena was later found not guilty of assault charges by reason of insanity. (More California stories.)