Man, 33, charged in stabbing of his pregnant girlfriend

A 33-year-old man was charged with attempted second-degree murder after he allegedly stabbed his pregnant girlfriend — who subsequently suffered a miscarriage — Sunday in the parking lot behind the Big Save store in Eleele, Kauai.

Christopher Cruz of Eleele is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Monday. He pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court before Per Diem Judge Jonathan Chun and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

According to a police affidavit, Cruz was driving a four-door sedan when a police officer stopped the vehicle in the parking lot behind the supermarket around 2:15 p.m. Sunday. The officer issued several citations.

After the officer left, the couple began arguing about the citations and other issues. Their daughter was with them in the car. The argument escalated and Cruz wanted to leave, but police said the victim, 18, hid the car keys because she didn’t want him to drive when he was angry.

As she attempted to leave, police said, she reached for their daughter, whom Cruz was carrying, when he allegedly pulled out a folding knife from his pocket and stabbed his girlfriend once in the stomach. Police said he attempted to stab her again when she grabbed his hands, and the knife fell onto the back seat.

Cruz fled on foot with the couple’s daughter. Covered in blood, the victim sought help from people near the entrance of Big Save.

The victim suffered a puncture wound, approximately one to two inches deep, to the right side of her stomach. She was transported to Wilcox Hospital with life-threatening injuries and underwent an emergency cesarean section.

Police said the victim, who was about 28 weeks into her pregnancy, lost a lot of blood. Doctors said she also had a ruptured uterus. The woman’s baby boy was born alive but started to show signs of distress about 30 minutes later. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed to no avail, and the infant died.

A doctor said the victim is expected to fully recover from her injuries.

Police located Cruz at a home on Ulupua Road. The Garden Island newspaper reported their 2-year-old daughter was uninjured.