A Gainesville man was arrested Friday after he was accused of beating and raping his pregnant girlfriend to kill his unborn son.
Joseph Bernard Combs, 20, is facing an attempted murder charge and a $3.5 million bond after police said he battered the woman to cause a miscarriage, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report.
The woman, who is 19 weeks pregnant, was on the phone with a friend shortly before the battery happened, the report said. When she hung up the phone, Combs told her, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you have my son.”
Combs grabbed the woman by her hair and dragged her into the living room, where he began repeatedly punching and kicking her in the stomach, according to the report. After that, he dragged her upstairs and continued to attack her.
When the woman ran downstairs to escape, Combs stopped her and dragged her back upstairs, where he continued punching and slapping her, the report said.
Police said Combs noticed a cut on the victim’s head and attempted to clean it. Before continuing the battery, he again told the victim, “I’m sorry, but I have to kill the baby.”
He then pulled out a folding knife and held it to the victim’s throat, according to the report. The victim, who believed Combs intended to kill her, told him, “I’ll do anything, but don’t take my life.”
Combs told the woman, “I want you to do it yourself,” and ordered her to cut her wrists, the report said.
When the woman went to do so, Combs stopped her and demanded she get on the ground. He told the woman to perform sex acts against her will, police said.
The victim suffered bruising to her stomach, forearms, shins and breast, as well as a swollen jaw and blood in her left eye, according to the report.
Combs is being held in Alachua County Jail on charges of attempted premeditated murder, sexual battery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and kidnapping.
Joseph Combs
