Woman goes into labor early after off-duty officer allegedly kicked her in the stomach

A pregnant woman gave birth to her son early after she was allegedly kicked in the stomach by an off-duty police officer.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Evoni Murray and the father of her unborn child, Joseph Predelus, were walking in Miami Beach in late July when they had an encounter with the off-duty officer, Ambar Pacheco.

It’s unclear what led to the incident; the Post reported that a confrontation broke out, during which Pacheco allegedly kicked Murray in the stomach.

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Murray was in severe pain and was rushed to a hospital, where she had her baby after seven minutes of labor. The baby arrived nine days before the woman’s Aug. 4 due date.

Pacheco was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, according to the Post. She was fired by the North Miami Police Department less than two days later, the city’s police chief William Hernandez said in a statement, citing her “recent off-duty actions.”

Pacheco told police that Predelus kicked her sister in the face, causing her to retaliate, according to an affidavit obtained by the Post.

Pacheco told officers that she did not remember who she kicked. 

Murray is described in documents as “visibly pregnant.” 

Predelus said he did not kick Pacheco’s younger sister, and said that the two women may have been drunk.

“I never did no kicking, nothing. I never touched nobody,” Predelus told local news station WSVN. “All I did was defend my baby mother and a child. To me, I don’t put my hands on women and that’s how it should be, especially a pregnant woman, too.”

Pacheco could face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if she’s convicted of assaulting a pregnant woman, the Post reported.