A teenage mother-to-be was violently dragged into a pond and held underwater in an attempted murder by the father of her unborn child, a court has heard. The attack was triggered after she posted photographs from their baby shower online, revealing his secret relationship with another woman.
Baby Shower Snap Sparks Deadly Fury
The 17-year-old victim, who has not been named, shared images of herself and her boyfriend, Dominic Thomas, on Facebook following the celebration. Thomas, then 19 and from Kansas in the United States, was secretly dating another woman and became enraged, fearing the photos would expose his infidelity.
His fears were realised when his other partner saw the images. Thomas subsequently sent a series of chilling text messages to the pregnant teen. "I sick of living knowing ur in my life so imma do sum bout it," he wrote in one. He chillingly added, "It ain't a threat it's a promise," and stated he would not care about the consequences.
From Threat to Terrifying Attack
Just one day after sending the messages, on 10 January 2026, Thomas lured his girlfriend to a local pond in Wichita under the pretence of going for a walk. After talking for around 20 minutes, during which Thomas said he had eaten a pizza as his "last free meal" because he was "going to jail", the situation turned violent.
According to police reports, Thomas placed the teenager in a headlock, forced her to the ground, and dragged her towards the water. He then held her head beneath the surface as she screamed and pleaded for him to stop. Thomas later told police he only stopped the attack when "she started mentioning their child".
Justice Served After Four-Day Trial
Thomas was arrested and subsequently stood trial in 2024. He confessed to officers that he wanted to "drown her" for putting him in the situation with his other girlfriend. Following a four-day trial, he was convicted of attempted first-degree murder.
This week, now aged 24, Dominic Thomas was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his brutal crime. The case highlights the extreme dangers of coercive control and domestic violence, particularly against vulnerable pregnant women.
