An Athens man was charged over the weekend with assaulting his girlfriend’s unborn child.
Javatavis Lakil Johnson, 22, allegedly punched his 19-year-old girlfriend in the stomach, reportedly telling her that he “wanted her dead and that he didn’t want to have another child with her anyway,” according to an Athens-Clarke County police report released on Tuesday.
Johnson was charged with assault on an unborn child and also aggravated assault, for allegedly choking the teen with whom he already had a 1-year-old son, according to the report.
The assault allegedly occurred Saturday night, when Johnson reportedly barged into the young woman’s home at Rolling Ridge Apartments and began arguing about their relationship. The teen told police she had kicked Johnson out of her home a couple of weeks ago because of alleged physical abuse.
Johnson reportedly went to the kitchen where he got a bottle of liquor and began drinking, while continuing to argue. The girlfriend alleged that Johnson began hitting her, knocked her to the ground and struck her in the head with his shoes, according to the police report.
Reportedly telling the young woman that he wanted her dead, Johnson allegedly began to choke her by the neck until she felt as if she was going to pass out, according to the report. The young woman was able to get away from her alleged attacker, police said, and Johnson left the apartment upon realizing that she had called police.
When officers arrived, they observed that the teenage mother was upset, disheveled, holding her stomach and complaining of soreness.
She was taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital.
The teen gave police a description of Johnson’s car and said that he possibly had gone to Arbor Ridge apartments.
Warrants for Johnson’s arrest were subsequently obtained and he was arrested Sunday morning by the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. He was released from custody upon posting an $8,000 bond.
No medical information on the status of the teen or her unborn child is available.
Anyone who is in an abusive relationship can seek advice and services by calling Project Safe’s 24-hour hotline at (706) 543-3331, or by visiting http://www.project-safe.org.
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