A Fridley man was charged with attempting to kill his yet-to-be-born child by stomping on his pregnant girlfriend's stomach, according to criminal charges filed this week.

Kenneth L. Turner, 28, assaulted his ex-girlfriend at a home for three hours, at one point ordering her to lie on her back and stomping on her stomach with both feet, the charge said. He told her she didn't deserve the baby and that he was going to kill it, the complaint said.

The woman is two months pregnant. It's unclear whether her embryo suffered any permanent injuries.

Turner was charged with felony first-degree attempted murder of an unborn child and felony domestic assault. He has previous domestic assault convictions and two other violent felony convictions.

According to the complaint, Turner's girlfriend called police about 8 a.m. Friday to report the assault. Besides stomping on her stomach, he repeatedly kicked and choked her. She had vaginal bleeding and significant pain in her uterus.

Anoka County District Judge Douglas B. Meslow set bail for Turner at $500,000 and prohibited Turner from having contact with the woman. Turner's next court appearance is scheduled for May 14.

County Attorney Tony Palumbo stated, "This type of criminal behavior is shocking and will be dealt with severely if these allegations are proven."

DAVID CHANEN