Wealthy Utah homebuilder beat wife up at stunning $1.2m home then refused to come out when police arrived, prosecutors say

A wealthy Utah homebuilder beat and choked his wife at their $1.2 million home in front of two young children, charging documents alleged.

Cary Evan Blake, owner of C. Blake Homes, was arrested over the weekend after a SWAT standoff at his residence in Ivins, near the borders of Nevada and Arizona.

Blake, 56, and his wife Brenda were engaged in a verbal argument on Saturday before he allegedly struck the back of her head and attacked their son-in-law as he tried to intervene, according to court documents obtained by ABC 4.

He then placed his hands around Brenda’s neck and started to choke her, the alleged victims reportedly told police.

The couple’s son-in-law witnessed the alleged assault and rushed to Brenda’s aid by pushing Blake away from her, the filings stated. Blake then struck him in the back, per the documents.

The alleged victims and two children, aged eight and 11, managed to escape the home and seek help from police.

Blake, however, refused to comply with officers’ orders to exit the residence, resulting in an hours-long standoff that ended when the county SWAT team entered the home.

The builder was placed under arrest and faces multiple charges including assault, domestic violence and public intoxication.

Cary Evan Blake, (right) owner of C. Blake Homes, was arrested over the weekend for the alleged assault of his wife Brenda (left)

Blake and Brenda (pictured) were engaged in a verbal argument on Saturday that escalated when he allegedly struck the back of her head, according to court documents. He then placed his hands around Brenda’s neck and started to choke her

Blake was arrested after a SWAT standoff at his $1.2 million residence in Ivins, Utah

Blake has been charged with two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and one count each of aggravated assault, simple assault, interference with a police office, and public intoxication.

Police said that during communications with the SWAT and Hostage Negotiations team, Blake’s speech was ‘slurred’ and appeared ‘consistent with impairment’.

He also had an outstanding arrest warrant for not paying a traffic citation for failure to register or having expired vehicle registration, ABC 4 reported.

He appeared in court Monday and is now currently being held in Washington County Jail without bail.

His next court appearance is scheduled for December 4.

Blake and Brenda both worked for C. Blake Homes, a property building and interior design studio servicing the greater southwestern Utah area.

The company appears to specialize in creating luxurious dream homes in the desert region near the city of St George and Snow Canyon State Park.

Former clients have hailed Blake’s high-quality craftsmanship and for being ‘simply the best of the best’ as a builder and contractor, according to testimonials shared on the company’s website.

Blake (pictured with Brenda) has been charged with two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and one count each of aggravated assault, simple assault, interference with a police office, and public intoxication

Blake and Brenda (pictured together) both worked for C. Blake Homes, a property building and interior design studio servicing the greater southwestern Utah area

Another client, who described working with Blake as a ‘delight,’ noted that Brenda is an essential part of the company’s design process.

‘She has been amazing to work with and her personal help with color selections, prices, discounts, and just knowing where the best retailers are located is invaluable. She too has been very helpful,’ the client raved.

The company appears proud of its husband-wife leadership duo, with photos of both Blake and Cary being shared on the website and its social media accounts.

C. Blake Homes even paid tribute to Brenda on her birthday in March 2021, describing her as the ‘Designer, CFO, the “Mothership,” the glue that holds us all together!’