Norristown Man Killed Unborn Baby While Beating Girlfriend: DA

NORRISTOWN, PA — A Norristown man has been arrested after police said he attacked and strangled his pregnant girlfriend, leading to the death of the baby girl he'd fathered.

Robert Wiley, 24, was charged with first degree murder of an unborn child and related counts, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.

The incident occurred in the evening of Aug. 18 inside the couple's Powell Street home.

The victim, 26-year-old Selena Hernandez, was 21 weeks pregnant. She was sleeping when she woke up to Wiley "viciously" beating her in the face and stomach, saying he would "kill the baby," police said.

Wiley then strangled Hernandez until she passed out and when she woke up, he continued beating her, authorities said. He only stopped when other family members returned home.

DA Kevin Steele called the attack "the most horrific effect of domestic violence."

The unborn infant, named Naomi Hernandez, died the next day on Aug. 19.

Police discovered the incident after Hernandez went to Einstein Medical Center for treatment of her injuries. Doctors there detected no heartbeat.

Police said Hernandez had gotten an ultrasound examination two weeks before the attack, and that the baby was healthy.

Originally, Wiley had been arrested and charged with aggravated assault in August, as the investigation was still ongoing. Montgomery County Coroner's office forensic pathologist Dr. Ian Hood examined the placenta and umbilical cord and determined that the cause of death was intrauterine fetal demise and placental trauma. Those conclusions, and further investigation by police, led to Friday's announcement.

Wiley's arraignment on the new charges is pending. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled once he is arraigned.

In the meantime, he remains booked at Montgomery County Correctional Facility. No bail is available for first degree murder charges.