Pregnant woman attacked with knife

SANDPOINT — A Bonner County man faces three felony charges for allegedly attacking his pregnant girlfriend with a knife and punching her in the stomach.

Benjamin Arturo Ramirez is charged with two counts of aggravated battery and a count of domestic violence in the presence of children.

Judge Quentin Harden set Ramirez's bail at $50,000 during an initial appearance in the magistrate division of district court on Monday. Ramirez is also barred from contacting the alleged victim or her children.

Ramirez denies the charges against him, according to a KPND radio news account.

Ramirez, 25, is accused of pressing a knife against the woman's body and threatening to cut out a tattoo, leaving her with cuts and scratches. He also allegedly stabbed the woman in the leg and punched her in the stomach in an attempt to kill the fetus, according to charging documents.

Ramirez is not the father of the fetus, court testimony indicates. The Nov. 24 incident took place in front of the woman's children.

A hearing to determine if a trial in 1st District Court is justified is pending in magistrate court.