Texas man free after allegedly beating pregnant girlfriend, killing unborn child, report

A plea deal will allow defendant to spend six months wearing a GPS monitor, an attorney said.

Published: October 20, 2022 9:06am

Updated: October 20, 2022 12:07pm

A Texas man accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend and killing her unborn child will reportedly not serve time in jail after he took a plea deal with the Travis County District Attorney's office.

Johnny Charles Ebbs V's plea deal on Monday included eight years of deferred adjudication on a third-degree continuous family violence assault charge, which means he pleaded guilty or no contest, and no guilt was found when he was sentenced, Austin-based outlet KXAN reported.

Ebbs assaulted LaShonda Lemons, his girlfriend who in 2016 was 32 weeks pregnant, according to an arrest warrant. Ebbs punched her in the stomach, yelling, "F*** you and this baby! You aren't going anywhere!" the warrant stated.

Lemons said she lost her baby three days later, according to the affidavit. A doctor said she had a "placenta abruption," which happens when the placenta detaches from the womb, sometimes caused by trauma.

"You were the first person to hold me at gunpoint. The first person to strangle me," Lemons said Monday while reading a victim impact statement.

Ebbs was required to turn over his firearms but did not, Lemons' attorney, Kelsey McKay, said.

"We have firearm surrender laws," she said. "We have domestic violence laws. But if there’s not enforcement and implementation of those laws, they’re relatively useless."

McKay said that Ebbs will not serve jail time and will spend six months wearing a GPS monitor.  

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