A West Side man is facing a first-degree felony charge after state police say he punched a pregnant woman in the stomach during a confrontation in a car while her child sat in the back seat. Brandon Joshua Samuels, from Beech Street in Westview Terrace, faces a charge of aggravated assault of an unborn child along with four additional counts stemming from the Oct. 27 incident.
According to a report from New Castle News, the dispute and physical attack unfolded around 9:30 p.m. that night in Wayne Township. The woman told police she was driving toward Ellwood City with Samuels riding as her front-seat passenger when the confrontation turned violent.
Woman Says She Was Pulled by the Arm and Punched Twice
Per the reported criminal complaint, the woman said Samuels pulled her arm toward him and punched her twice in the stomach. She also told police that Samuels tried to pull her toward the passenger side of the vehicle while she was driving between 35 and 40 mph, according to the same account.
The woman and Samuels eventually got out of the car, the outlet's report states. She then drove to her apartment and locked all the doors. Police noted that a child was in the back seat of the car during the altercation, per the report.
Hospital Staff Alerted Authorities
The woman went to a hospital following the incident, where she was reportedly cleared without any problems. The outlet's account indicates that staff at Allegheny Health Network in Wexford contacted Lawrence County Children and Youth Services and state police after her visit.
State police filed the aggravated assault charge along with four additional counts against Samuels: harassment, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and police reported they were unable to locate him following the incident.
What Pennsylvania Law Says About the Felony Charge
Under Pennsylvania's criminal code, aggravated assault of an unborn child is classified as a first-degree felony. The statute, outlined by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, covers attempts to cause serious bodily injury to an unborn child, as well as conduct that intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes such injury under circumstances showing extreme indifference to the unborn child's life.
As with all criminal cases, Samuels is considered innocent until proven guilty or adjudicated in court. It remains unclear whether he has since been located or taken into custody.
