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Charges: Pregnant woman held against her will, assaulted and forced to drink bleach

According to court documents, on Nov. 20, St. Peters police discovered a woman was being held against her will by Ronnie Howard

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — A man has been charged in connection to the kidnapping and assault of a 20-year-old pregnant woman.

The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Ronnie W. Howard with one count of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrested.

According to court documents, on Nov. 20, St. Peters police discovered a woman was being held against her will by Howard. The family member who called police told them the victim’s front tooth was chipped and her face was scratched when they saw her in a FaceTime call. The family member also told them the victim said Howard wouldn’t let her leave her apartment and she had been assaulted by him.

Court documents also said the victim said Howard made her drink bleach, punched her in the head, cracked her tooth and put a gun to her head and cocked it. Howard also hid her phone from and she couldn’t call for help.

St. Peters police pinged Howard’s phone to find the woman. The two were found near the Walmart on Jungermann Road. Several people witnessed Howard running away from Walmart, he was taken into custody by police. The woman was transported to a hospital.

While at the hospital, the victim told police Howard had abused her for months and she was terrified of him.

According to court documents, in an interview with Howard, he denied owning a gun and abusing the woman. He said he was in a verbal argument with the woman’s dad over the phone and her dad was the one who threatened his life for dating his daughter. He said after the argument he and the woman drove to Walmart to buy things for the baby. He also said the victim’s family members ‘made up’ the story about making her drink bleach and toilet water and continued to deny using a gun.  

Police said they found a gun in the master bedroom dresser drawer and the toilet contained cleaning chemicals, which were consistent with the victim’s statement.

Howard has a lengthy criminal history in a different state including kidnapping, assault by strangulation, assault with a deadly weapon and stealing a car.

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