Man Tries To Kill Pregnant Girlfriend's Baby By Stomping On Her Stomach

A Minnesota man tried to kill a fetus by stomping on his pregnant girlfriend's stomach, police said. Kenneth L. Turner, 28, of Fridley, kicked, punched and choked his on-again, off-again girlfriend at her apartment during a three-hour attack early Friday, at one point ordering her to lie on her back before stomping on her stomach with both feet, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.

 The victim is two months pregnant. During the attack, Turner told her she didn't "deserve the baby" and said he was going to kill it, the newspaper said. He was arrested after the woman managed to call police at around 8 a.m. The woman, who was not identified, suffered vaginal bleeding and pain in her stomach, but police say the fetus survived.

Turner was charged with first-degree attempted murder of an unborn child and domestic assault. He previously was convicted of domestic assault and other felonies, according to the Star-Tribune. He was being held on 500,000 bail and is due in court on May 14. "This type of criminal behavior is shocking and will be dealt with severely if these allegations are proven," Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo said in a statement.