DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man is facing an upgraded felony charge after investigators determined an unborn child's death was caused by an alleged assault on a pregnant woman earlier this year.
According to the Dallas Police Department, officers responded to a local hospital on May 16 to investigate an assault that had occurred the previous day in the 200 block of Fran Way in the Cedars neighborhood.
The preliminary investigation found that 18-year-old Xavier Phifer assaulted a pregnant woman at about 5 p.m. on May 15. The victim was taken to the hospital by private vehicle, where medical staff determined that her unborn child had died.
Phifer was arrested on May 21 and initially charged with assault of a pregnant person, a third-degree felony. Police said Phifer and the victim know one another.
Following additional investigation, detectives determined the death of the unborn child was related to the alleged physical assault.
As a result, Phifer has now been charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony, in addition to the original assault charge.
He remains in the Dallas County Jail. His bond has been set at $1,185,000.
Phifer on probation at the time of the assault for Aggravated Robbery and Theft.
The investigation is ongoing under Dallas Police case number 070044-2026.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective A. Joslin, #10872, at 214-671-4095 or by email at adam.joslin@dallaspolice.gov.
