Man Laces Pregnant Girlfriend’s Water With Bleach To Force Abortion

A Pennsylvania college student is accused of lacing his girlfriend’s water with bleach to harm their unborn baby. According to New York Daily News, Theophilous Washington wasn’t ready to be a father. At age 20, he was in his junior year at Millersville University working toward obtaining his degree, but then his life took an unexpected turn when he learned his girlfriend was pregnant with their child.

Washington reportedly told investigators he expressed to his girlfriend that he did not want the child, but to no avail. Instead of exploring possible alternatives they could have considered, Washington took matters into his own hands and devised a disturbing plan to get rid of the baby.

Prosecutors claim Washington and his girlfriend, whose name has not been released, spent Thursday evening together. When she got ready to leave Friday morning, Washington offered her a bottle of water. After drinking it, she returned to her dorm room. Soon after she arrived, she began feeling sick.

Pennsylvania university student Theophilous Washington, 20, accused of putting bleach in pregnant woman's water https://t.co/JCJecThnTg pic.twitter.com/ITfmVbktVe

— ABC News (@ABC) October 30, 2016

It has been reported that she described the feeling as a burning sensation in her throat. Then, she began vomiting almost immediately after. She was in so much pain, she called for an ambulance. The woman was examined and doctors determined she and the 2-month-old fetus “appeared unharmed,” despite the toxic cocktail, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. However, Washington didn’t get off so easy. The potentially deadly drink led to an investigation. When Washington was questioned by investigators, he reportedly admitted he poured bleach into the water bottle.

“Washington, the father of the child, admitted to putting bleach in the water bottle,” prosecutors said. “He had stated previously that he did not want the female to have the child.”

According to ABC13, Theophilous Washington is facing charges for attempted first-degree murder of an unborn child and reckless endangering. He is being held in custody on a $1 million bond. On Friday, Oct. 28, district attorney Craig Stedman released a statement about the charges that Washington is facing. Although the charges have been met with a staggering bond, Stedman believes the charges and bond are justifiable due to the horrific nature of the crime and the potential outcome Washington’s actions could have led to.

“The charges are twisted and the intended result nothing short of horrifying,” Stedman said.

Washington’s crime has made national headlines and as expected, he’s been trolled on social media. Many readers have slammed Washington for his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions and attempting to take what he thought was the easy way out of his adult responsibilities. Now the university has released a statement about the incident.

Student charged with putting bleach in pregnant girlfriend's water to harm unborn baby https://t.co/nCmoK6YnTD pic.twitter.com/EffdhvPmmX

— WGAL (@WGAL) October 29, 2016

Brian Hazlett, Millersville’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, has spoken publicly on behalf of the university.

“It is very disturbing to me personally because I consider our students to be our family,” Hazlett said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and we’re doing everything we can to make sure she is OK.”

Theophilous Washington has a preliminary bond hearing scheduled for November 4. At this point, there is no defense attorney listed for Washington. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 15 years behind bars.

A conviction for first degree attempted murder brings a lengthier prison sentence than a conviction for second-degree attempted murder. First degree attempted murder is often punished with a life sentence, though the convicted does have the possibility to receive parole. Second degree attempted murder usually comes with a lengthy prison sentence, often ranging from between five- to 15-years in prison.

Should Theophilous Washington face the maximum sentence for the crime he committed against his unborn child? Share your thoughts.

[Photo via Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office]