A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting his pregnant ex-girlfriend, firing gunshots during a failed rescue attempt, and kidnapping both her and her 1-year-old child, according to police.
Authorities say 24-year-old Justin Daugherty was taken into custody in connection with the violent August incident in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County. He faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault on an unborn child, kidnapping, and attempted homicide.
Police first responded on August 27 after reports of gunfire at an apartment complex. When they arrived, they met with the victim, who told officers she had been physically attacked and held against her will by Daugherty, as per ABC affiliate WTAE.
According to a criminal complaint, Daugherty had shown up at the woman’s home just days earlier after being released from jail for previously assaulting her. The complaint notes he has a “lengthy history of doing so.”
The victim told police Daugherty became enraged after learning she was pregnant by another man. “You’re not going outside, you’re not going to work, you’re not going nowhere,” he allegedly told her before repeatedly punching her in the abdomen over several days.
Desperate to escape, the woman managed to contact her new boyfriend by phone. When her boyfriend and another man came to rescue her, Daugherty reportedly opened fire. One of the men was struck by gunfire and later treated at a hospital.
After the shooting, Daugherty allegedly grabbed the victim’s car keys and forced her and her 1-year-old child into a vehicle. Police say he drove them around the area while making violent threats.
The woman managed to secretly call 911 during the drive, and dispatchers were able to trace the call and alert responding officers. According to the report, Daugherty eventually released the woman and child, telling her to return home and “say the right things” to police.
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office said Daugherty was arrested in Stowe Township on Friday. When deputies arrived, he tried to escape through a window but retreated after spotting a police K9. Detectives then entered the home and took him into custody without further incident.
Daugherty remains in jail awaiting trial.