PEABODY — A Peabody man is facing attempted-murder and kidnapping charges after repeatedly beating and strangling his wife as their two young children watched, yelling "Daddy, stop," police said.

Richard Lowry, 48, of 127R Washington St. is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for today in Peabody District Court.

The incident occurred on Independence Day and started with a fight in the couple's van as the family was traveling on Route 128, police said.

Lowry's 21-year-old wife told police that he began insulting her, hit her on the face, and then told her he knew of a location where he could "(expletive) her up" and no one would be able to see or hear her cries for help. The woman said she managed to climb into the van's back seat to avoid being hit again.

The couple eventually got home, and the woman took the couple's three children for a walk, hoping it would give Lowry a chance to cool off. She returned, only to find that Lowry wouldn't let her back inside, she said.

Once she was back inside, she said, Lowry attacked her, knocking her to the floor and kicking her while wearing military-style boots.

She said he began strangling her, shaking her entire body by the neck, and yelling, "I'll (expletive) kill you." The woman told police that she pounded on a wall, hoping a neighbor would hear and call 911.

She was knocked back to the floor at least three times, she said, and was repeatedly choked.

At one point, she managed to escape the house, only to have Lowry follow her outside, pick her up and carry her back inside — an action he claimed to police was to prevent neighbors from hearing what he said was a verbal argument.

Once back inside, Lowry pulled out a large butcher-style knife and told the woman, "I ain't scared to use it," the woman told police.

Lowry resumed his attack on the woman, as two of the couple's children, ages 2 and 3, yelled for him to stop, police said.

Just before 6 p.m., the woman was able to make a second escape attempt, this time managing to grab the couple's infant and a cell phone.

She ran outside and yelled for help.

Two drivers passing by called 911 from their cell phones.

As police pulled up, she ran toward the cruiser with the infant in her arms. The officers saw Lowry standing in the doorway with the two older children.

The woman was covered in abrasions, with scratches on her neck, chin and other parts of her body, but she declined medical attention from EMTs called to the scene, police said. Police took pictures of the woman's injuries.

Lowry is also facing charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and witness intimidation.

On Monday, a Peabody District Court judge ordered him held in custody at Middleton Jail until a hearing today where prosecutors will argue that he's too dangerous to release pending trial.