A drunk North Miami Beach police officer was arrested Wednesday in Miami Beach after she kicked an eight month pregnant woman in her stomach during an argument. The kick caused the woman to be rushed to the hospital and deliver her baby prematurely. The officer was fired on Friday.
North Miami Beach Officer Ambar Pacheco, 26, faces one felony count of aggravated battery of a pregnant victim following a July 25 assault in Miami Beach.
The incident started when the off duty Pacheco got into an argument with Joseph Predelus and his girlfriend Evoni Murray, 27 reports 7 News Miami.
The innocent couple were walking down the sidewalk enjoying the night when they saw Pacheco and her sister Mikaela Pacheco crying. Drunk, the Pacheco sisters saw the couple talking and took offense to it because they thought the couple was talking bad about them.
Predelus and his girlfriend deny saying anything about the sisters. The Pachecos then started an argument with the couple, yelling and screaming belligerently. It was at that moment that Officer Pacheco kicked the pregnant Murray in the stomach.
The arresting officer wrote that Murray “appeared to be in severe pain and possibly having contractions.” Indeed Murray was in alot of pain after the attack and was rushed to Mount Sinai hospital where she gave premature birth to her baby.
Thankfully Murray and her new baby are healthy.
Officer Pacheco was charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant victim – a second-degree felony. The arresting officer also believes that Officer Pacheco was drunk during the assault. Officer Pacheco stated on scene that, “I beat the shit out of her!”
Just two days after the altercation Pacheco was fired.
Police Chief William Hernandez said the following in a statement:
“Due to Ms. Ambar Pacheco’s recent off-duty actions, her employment with the City of North Miami Beach has been terminated effective immediately.”
Pacheco had worked as a uniformed patrol officer for the North Miami Beach Police Department for less than a year. She faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Pacheco had one previous arrest in Miami-Dade County for petit theft when she was 18.
