Police: Man tried to cause miscarriage with drinks

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) - A central Indiana man accused of trying to cause his pregnant girlfriend to have a miscarriage by mixing a medicinal herb into her drinks allegedly told officers he wasn't "in a position to have children financially or mentally."

Jarod Rebuck, 25, of Elwood, was formally charged Wednesday with attempted feticide, and released later that day from the Madison County Jail after posting bond. A judge has issued an order barring Rebuck from contacting the woman.

That woman, who is about a month into her pregnancy, told police she drank two strange-smelling drinks on Dec. 24 that Rebuck had mixed for her, according to a probable cause affidavit.

That court document states that the woman told officers she became suspicious after the second drink and looked through the search history on Rebuck's smartphone, where she found searches for natural ways to cause a miscarriage, The Herald Bulletin reported (http://bit.ly/1BonEar ).

Court documents state that Rebuck, who was arrested Dec. 25, told officers he placed a medicinal herb called clary sage that can cause miscarriages early in a pregnancy in the woman's drinks.

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said Friday that Rebuck was the woman's boyfriend and allegedly hoped to induce a miscarriage because he presumed that he had impregnated her.

Rebuck's attorney, Bryan Williams, did not immediately return telephone messages left Friday at his Anderson office seeking comment.

Although the woman did ingest the herb Rebuck allegedly mixed in her drinks, police reports said a blood test conducted at a hospital confirmed that the woman remains pregnant.

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Information from: The Herald Bulletin, http://www.theheraldbulletin.com