Man accused of beating pregnant girlfriend in stomach with chair

Victim hospitalized

MELBOURNE, Fla. – A man is accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend, tying her to a chair, holding a knife to her throat and snatching her 9-month-old baby, according to the West Melbourne Police Department.

The incident began Wednesday night at the home Jeremy Christian Barry, 23, shares with his 20-year-old girlfriend. Barry tied the victim to a chair and held a knife to her throat, police said. The victim was able to escape to a relative's house around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. 

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The woman called police and filed a report. After they left, Barry showed up at the home claiming to be a police officer, and when the victim opened the door with her baby in her arms, Barry pushed the woman aside and grabbed the child, according to a news release. 

Barry took the victim's phone and threw it in a toilet when he saw her attempting to call 911, police said.

The victim said the next thing she remembers is waking up on the floor with a bloody face. At that point, Barry started to beat the woman in her rib area with a chair, police said. Her arm was broken because she used it to try to shield her stomach, according to the report.

Police said Barry took the victim to a hospital, but forced her to say that she was involved in a car crash. Barry left the baby behind when he left the hospital, according to the news release.

Barry was arrested when he returned to the hospital several hours later.

He is charged with occupied residential burglary with battery, aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, depriving a person of a communication device, impersonating a law enforcement officer, destruction of evidence and tampering with a witness/victim. 

He is being held without bond.

Police have not released the condition of the victim, her baby or her unborn child.


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