By Ryan Yousefi 

A Coral Springs man was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a pregnant person after assaulting his pregnant girlfriend while she was driving. 

On August 7, the Coral Springs Police Department received at 12:40 pm about an alleged assault taking place at the 4000 block of Woodside Drive.

When officers arrived, they encountered Manuel Jose Garcia, 20, walking away from his vehicle. Initial questioning by the officer led to Garcia admitting that he and his girlfriend had a verbal fight, however, he denied touching her.

Garcia told police that he had exited the vehicle his girlfriend was driving after an argument about her cellphone but was returning it. 

Officers interviewed the victim who told a very different version of events claiming that while she was driving, Garcia pulled her hair from the back of the car and repeatedly kicked her seat. She added that she was two months pregnant, and Garcia was the father.

She told police Garcia stole her cellphone when they arrived home and exited the vehicle towards the parking lot. 

Officers indicated in the report that no signs of injury were apparent, but the victim was extremely distraught over what had occurred.

While officers were conducting the interviews, the victim’s father arrived on the scene and began yelling at Garcia in Spanish. 

The father was heard yelling at Garcia “So you like pulling girls hair?” to which Garica replied, “I didn’t pull her hair, I ran my fingers through it.” 

Those comments by Garcia contradicted what he had previously told police. Garcia said he never touched the victim’s hair at all. 

After further interviews and investigation, officers placed Garcia under arrest for aggravated battery of a pregnant person and transported him to the Coral Springs Police Department for booking. 

Garcia was later turned over the Broward County Sheriff’s Office without incident. 

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