Two parents in Lacey, Washington, are facing charges of attempted murder and assault after bystanders intervened to stop a father from allegedly strangling his 17-year-old daughter near Timberline High School. 

Authorities believe the attack was a possible “honor killing” due to the girl’s refusal to enter an arranged marriage overseas, WLBT reports.

Witnesses reported that the father, Ihsan Ali, choked his daughter until she fell unconscious, while the mother, Zahraa Ali, attempted to grab her as others intervened. The teen’s boyfriend, who helped stop the attack, suffered injuries during the altercation. The parents were reportedly attempting to abduct their daughter after previous threats.

A passerby Josh Wagner saw the fight as he was driving and tried to intervene.

“So, [I] pulled over to try to get the kids to stop and realized it was an adult male who had a teenager in a headlock and subdued him ‘til the police arrived,” Wagner said. “It was pretty angering. I didn’t know what was going on, why it was happening. All the kids were screaming, yelling.”

The teen was able to run into the high school yelling that her father was trying to k*ll her.

Police and school officials are working with prosecutors to ensure the teen’s safety. The parents remain in custody as their upgraded charges are processed.