College student 'put bleach in his pregnant girlfriend's water bottle in order to kill unwanted two-month-old fetus'

Theophilous Washington (above) has been charged with attempted murder of an unborn child and reckless endangerment

A university student enrolled at a small college in Pennsylvania was arrested and charged with attempted murder after authorities learned that he had poisoned his pregnant girlfriend's glass of water with bleach in an attempt to abort the fetus.

Theophilous Washington, a 20-year-old from Washington, D.C., who is attending Millersville University in rural Pennsylvania, was charged by Lancaster County prosecutors with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder of an unborn child as well as reckless endangering.

'The charges are twisted and the intended result nothing short of horrifying,' District Attorney Craig Stedman said in a statement Friday.

Washington and his girlfriend, who is two months pregnant, were at his living quarters late Thursday and into Friday morning.

Just as she was about to leave and return to her dorm, authorities said he had offered her a drink of water that was stashed in the refrigerator.

After she drank the water, she returned to her room and began to feel a burning sensation in her throat.

She then began vomiting. Afterward, she called 911.

In interviews with police, Washington acknowledged putting bleach in the water bottle from which his girlfriend drank.

'Washington, the father of the child, admitted to putting bleach in the water bottle,' prosecutors said. 'He had stated previously that he did not want the female to have the child.'

The woman was examined by a doctor, who determined that she and the fetus were unharmed, according to the district attorney.

The arrest prompted reaction on campus, where students could not believe that someone could do such a thing.

A Millersville University sign is seen on campus in this file photo. Police said the pregnant woman dialed 911 after she felt a burning sensation in her throat and began vomiting

Brian Hazlett, Millersville's vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, called it 'a horrible, unconscionable event.'

'It is very disturbing to me personally because I consider our students to be our family,' Hazlett said in a statement. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and we're doing everything we can to make sure she is OK.'

Washington remains in custody on $1million bail pending a Nov. 4 preliminary hearing.

Court documents don't list a defense attorney who could respond to the charges and a listed phone number for him couldn't be found Saturday.