Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

A local man who has a record of domestic abuse has been charged with the same crime once again. According to police reports, Suspect Cameron Criner, 19, was charged with Second Degree Feticide after he allegedly physically abused the woman who was carrying his child. The incident happened Tuesday, August 10, 2021 in the 800 block of Orange St. in Monroe. Monroe Police made contact with the victim shortly after the alleged incident, where she told officers that she and Criner got into an argument. During the course of the argument, the unidentified victim said that the suspect took her cell phone and threw it to the ground. The victim, who is allegedly pregnant with Criner's unborn child, began to hit him. After being hit several times, Criner allegedly began strangling the victim and dragged her around the house where they were. According to MPD, Criner continued the abuse, grabbed the victim by her arms and threw her to the ground, causing her to fall on the side of her stomach. Two days later, on August 12, she learned that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. She was taken to the hospital, where doctors induced labor, and she delivered her dead child. Officers were able to apprehend Criner at a location where he allegedly bragged about what he did to the victim saying he "hoped that the baby died", according to MPD. The suspect and the victim were allegedly in a relationship when the incident happened. Criner was arrested on August 13 and booked at Ouachita Correctional Center(OCC) with Second Degree Feticide, Domestic Abuse Battery, Pregnant Victim, and Simple Criminal Damage to Property charges. Criner has an alleged history of domestic abuse, according to public records. He was arrested for Domestic Abuse Battery in 2017 and Battery of a Dating Partner in 2019. We can only hope that the victim makes a full recovery from her harrowing experience and that people, particularly women, take the time to really get to know someone. Louisiana is a leader in domestic abuse cases, and we need to severely reduce those numbers. Stay safe.