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.”

On April 24, Herring’s wife allegedly found a pharmaceutical in the garbage called Cyrux, which contains Misoprostol, a drug used to induce abortions, Osso said. Two days later, the cameras allegedly caught Herring putting a powdered substance into her glass.
“The pregnant woman contacted the police after that, and shortly after, Herring was charged with assaulting a pregnant person and assault-force induction to have an abortion,” according to the report. “He was arrested on a warrant at the airport after returning from Las Vegas.”
The woman saved six water samples, and upon being tested at a lab in Oklahoma, at least two samples were shown to have the presence of Misoprostol, Osso said.
“It’s manipulative,” Osso said. “It’s pre-meditated. What we are alleging Mr. Herring did, which we believe the evidence supports, is a pretty heinous act. To do that to someone who trusts you, it’s taking advantage of that trust. “
Osso said the woman’s baby arrived early but is alive and healthy.

Herring’s attorney, Dan Cogdel, issued the following statement to the outlet:

We are aware that the Grand Jury has returned these charges. That said, we very much look forward to our day in court and are thoroughly convinced that we will prevail in a Court of law when our time comes to defend these allegations. Until that day comes, I don’t intend to comment any publicly any further.

Herring is out on a $30,000 bond and is due back in court on Dec. 2. He is reportedly the “first and only” person in the county to be charged with “assault-force induction to have an abortion,” and he faces two to ten years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, the report states.