Pasco man pleads innocent to attack of pregnant girlfriend
Last updated: April 6th, 2011 06:13 AM (PDT)

PASCO — A Pasco man pleaded innocent Tuesday to allegations he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend when he tried to force her into his car against her will.

Valentin Escalera-Gonzalez, 35, faces trial May 25 in Franklin County Superior Court for second-degree assault and possession of a firearm, a short-barrel shotgun.

He is in the Franklin County jail on $50,000 bail, in addition to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

Pasco police were called at 8:15 a.m. March 25 for a possible domestic disturbance on North 13th Avenue. The caller reported seeing a woman, carrying a child, possibly being pursued by a man in a vehicle.

The man was later identified as Escalera-Gonzalez.

Officer Mike Nelson arrived in the area to find Escalera-Gonzalez walking back to a car that had been stopped in the middle of the road with its driver's door open, court documents said.

The victim told officers she lives with Escalera-Gonzalez on North 14th Avenue but allegedly has been trying to get away from him for a long time.

She claimed that when her boyfriend found her that morning, he pulled her by her pony tail and wrapped his arms around her as he tried to force her into his car, documents said.

The woman alleged prior incidents of domestic violence with Escalera-Gonzalez, including a time he loaded two shells into a shotgun and said he would kill both of them if she ever left, court documents said.

She also described another time when he held a knife to her stomach during an argument and said he would cut the baby out of her stomach before she left, documents said.

The woman is four months pregnant with his child.

A shotgun with a 12 1/2-inch barrel was reportedly recovered from the couple's bedroom.

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