A 29-year-old man wanted for allegedly strangling a pregnant woman in Gaston County has been caught, authorities said. Steven Wilson was taken into custody in Gastonia on Monday, 16 days after the attack he's accused of carrying out.
Police said Wilson attacked the pregnant woman on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Gaston County, according to WBTV. Warrants obtained by the station allege that Wilson pushed the woman, punched her in the face, and placed one hand around her neck, causing her to fall.
The alleged attack left her with a tender neck and a bump on the back of her head, per the warrants.
Fugitive Task Force Tracks Down Suspect
16 days after the alleged assault, officers said Wilson was caught in Gastonia on Monday, Oct. 5, with help from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and local police, the same report notes. No additional details on the circumstances of the arrest were included in the account.
Wilson now faces one felony charge, assault by strangulation, along with three misdemeanors: assault on a pregnant woman, a crime of domestic violence, and battery of an unborn child, per the station's report.
What North Carolina Law Says About the Charges
Under North Carolina law, assault by strangulation falls under G.S. 14-32.4, titled Assault inflicting serious bodily injury; strangulation; penalties, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The battery of an unborn child charge Wilson faces is defined separately under G.S. 14-23.6, the state's statute on battery on an unborn child.
