Man accused of beating pregnant ex-girlfriend

Cape Girardeau police are searching for a man accused of beating his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

The 21-year-old woman woke up Sunday morning to find her 20-year-old ex-boyfriend standing over her, police spokesman Jason Selzer said.

The man allegedly put his knee to her chest, choked her and struck her with an open palm. He refused to let the woman leave the apartment, in the 400 block of South Silver Springs Road, according to Selzer.

When the man laid down for a nap, the woman tried to run from her home, but the man caught up with her, Selzer said. The woman claims she was caught by her hair, thrown down, and her head was banged against the front door several times, he said.

An acquaintance later got between the four-months-pregnant victim and her attacker, allowing the woman to escape to a neighbor's home, where she called police.

No one was in custody Monday night as police searched for the suspect. The woman was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.