Texas Man Charged With Slipping Abortion Drug Into Pregnant Wife’s Drinks

A Texas man slipped abortion drugs into his wife’s drinks several times in an attempt to make her lose her baby, prosecutors have alleged.

A grand jury in Harris County indicted Mason Herring, 38, earlier this month for assaulting his pregnant wife, who is also the mother of their two children, The Washington Post reported on Monday. The saga began on March 17 after Herring’s wife drank cloudy water that her husband had brought her. When she questioned him, he allegedly blamed the murky water on the pipes, but about a half-hour later, she went to the emergency room with severe bleeding, court documents state.

The woman said she subsequently began suspecting that her husband was putting some kind of abortion drug in her drinks, the Post reported, citing an affidavit. The report noted that Herring’s wife went to the hospital roughly six months after the Texas Heartbeat Act took effect, a law that blocks abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law contains a unique enforcement mechanism whereby any private citizen may file a civil lawsuit against an abortion provider or any other individual who “aids or abets” an abortion.

Anthony Osso, the assistant district attorney in the domestic violence division assigned to the case, said the couple had separated in early 2022 but were working on their relationship before learning she was pregnant in February, ABC13 reported.

“My understanding is that it wasn’t well-received by (Herring),” Osso said. “That came out through marriage counseling, as well as through text messages later on.”