In a harrowing case out of Pompano Beach, Florida, a man is facing additional charges following a brutal attack on a pregnant woman that resulted in the death of the unborn child. Emmanuel Prevaly, 34, already held on attempted murder charges, was dealt a new charge after officials confirmed the death of the fetus, as reported by Local 10.
The incident took place last Friday when Prevaly allegedly ambushed the woman in the parking lot of an apartment complex, assaulting her with a baseball bat. Witnesses at the scene heard her screams and intervened, causing Prevaly to flee. A quick-thinking witness managed to tackle Prevaly and hold him until police arrived. Despite initial uncertainty, authorities later informed that victim that her attacker was indeed Prevaly, who she had known since she was 8 years old, according to NBC Miami.
Doctors at a local hospital were unable to detect the unborn baby's heartbeat, and the Broward medical examiner concluded that the fetus died from "multiple blunt force injuries." Prevaly's alleged actions have brought about the charge of killing an unborn child, an addition to the attempted murder charge which landed him in the BSO Main Jail without bond.
The attacked woman, who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time, told officers she begged her attacker to stop, crying out, "stop! please! I'm pregnant!" as the assault unfolded. After initially denying the allegations, Prevaly's mask was removed during the struggle with witnesses, revealing his identity. He begged to be released, saying, "You don't understand, I know her. Let me go, I'll pay you man," according to the arrest report obtained by NBC Miami.
Before the attack, Prevaly was heard ranting about child support, expressing he was not prepared for parenthood. Despite these red flags, he had accompanied the victim to her 21-week pregnancy check-up just a week before the vicious attack. Prevaly continues to deny the accusations against him. Further details regarding his legal representation were not immediately available.
