Pregnant woman facing charges in attempted self-abortion

Authorities are pursuing possible assault charges against a pregnant 20-year-old who swallowed half a bottle of aspirin Thursday in an apparent attempt to kill her unborn child. The police report noted that the fetus survived the incident. “A fetus counts,” Ben Elder, an assistant prosecuting attorney for Richland County, said Friday in a brief interview. Because he did not know the details of the case, Elder said he could not comment more specifically, but added that under Ohio law, intentionally causing harm to one’s own unborn baby is a punishable offense. Mansfield News Journal