Man Sentenced In Assault Of Pregnant Girlfriend: Howard County Prosecutor

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A 38-year-old Lanham man has been sentenced in connection to the assault of his pregnant girlfriend.

On Dec. 2, 2022, Howard County police were called to the 6700 block of Waterloo Road where the victim stated that her boyfriend, Aaron Cornelius Raines, had physically assaulted her. Raines grabbed the victim by her throat and strangled her using two hands while she was sitting on the couch. The victim attempted to get away from Raines and they fell to the floor where he continued to strangle her, according to the police department.

Raines then used two of his fingers to press directly on the victim’s esophagus and ripped hair from her head. The victim stated Raines strangled her on-and-off for approximately 30 minutes causing her to struggle to breathe and begin to lose consciousness. The victim was ultimately able to break free and run to a neighbor’s residence for help, the police department reported.

A Howard County jury has found Raines guilty of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and committing a crime of violence against a pregnant person. He's been sentenced to 25 years, suspending five years. Once released, he'll be on five years of supervised probation.