GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The man accused of drugging his ex-girlfriend twice in an attempt to cause her to have an abortion pleaded guilty in court Tuesday.
Thirty-one-year-old Jared Ahlstrom wasn’t offered a plea deal, he had to either plead guilty or to go trial.
An arrest affidavit says he was secretly giving his pregnant ex-girlfriend misoprostol, an ulcer medication with a side effect of miscarriages.
The baby died nearly a year ago but it wasn’t until November when Ahlstrom told the mother of the child that the miscarriage wasn’t an accident.
In a written statement, Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Rubinstein said, “It is unfortunate that Colorado law only makes this a class 4 felony. It is considered a ‘non-extraordinary risk’ crime, and carries no mandatory sentencing of any sort. It has a maximum of 12 years prison, but he is eligible for any type of sentence.”
Rubinstein says there are two bills in the legislature currently hoping address this type of situation. Rep. Laura Bradford has a bill that would have not made this a more serious crime. Rubinstein says her bill, House Bill 1261, addresses issues directed more toward defining a person for murder purposes.
Senate Bill 113 is sponsored by Sen. Dave Shultheis and Rubinstein says it would have made this a case of first degree murder. The bill includes fetus in all versions of first degree murder, premeditation, extreme indifference murder and felony murder. Rubinstein says that bill exempts lawful abortions or other consensual medical procedures.
Ahlstrom's sentencing is set for May.
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