A Texas man has been arrested after he allegedly snuck an abortion drug into his pregnant girlfriend’s water bottle and killing their unborn child.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release on Wednesday, May 20, that John Ruben Demeter has been charged with one count each of illegal performance of an abortion and injury to a child three months after his initial arrest.
“[H]e secretly administered an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent, resulting in the death of her unborn child,” the press release stated.
Authorities first learned of the situation in February when a woman sought medical help because she believed she had ingested abortifacients without her knowledge.
Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said during a press conference on May 20 that an investigation was launched into the matter, and it was determined that Demeter, 25, obtained abortion medication online and had it shipped to his home.
Demeter has been accused of crushing the pill and mixing it into at least one drink that was consumed by the woman.
“He covertly crushed that medication and mixed it in a water bottle with a liquid I.V. packet, and this was done with this specific intent to cause the death of the child,” Doolittle said during the press conference, per KTRK.
The woman is believed to have been about 14 weeks pregnant at the time she consumed the drug and the unborn child was ultimately killed, according to police.
“That baby, Presley Mae, was stillborn at the hospital, weighed about 55 grams,” the sheriff said.
Demeter’s girlfriend suspected he had poisoned her to end the pregnancy, according to KTRK. The woman told investigators that Demeter wanted her to abort their baby and he offered to pay for her travel expenses to get an abortion done out of state.
Investigators believe Demeter gave the woman mifepristone, which is illegal under Texas’ abortion ban.
“These allegations describe conduct that is both deeply troubling and profoundly harmful,” prosecutor Laura Hill said during the press conference. “Our responsibility is to carefully evaluate the evidence, apply the law as written, and seek justice on behalf of victims and this community.”
Demeter was originally arrested on February 23 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His charges have since been upgraded to two first-degree felonies, meaning he could face up to 10 years in prison if he’s convicted.
Authorities said the latest charges “stem from allegations involving the non-consensual administration of medication and the resulting harm alleged in the investigation.”
“This case represents allegations of deliberate deception that resulted in devastating consequences,” Montgomery County District Attorney Mike Holley said in the press release. “The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue justice based on the facts, the evidence and the laws of the State of Texas.”
It is not currently clear if Demeter has entered a plea or retained legal counsel. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
