Carthage man charged with assaulting pregnant girlfriend

A Carthage man charged with first degree domestic assault, second degree domestic assault and possession of a controlled substance pleaded not guilty today during his arraignment in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Eric Xavier Neal (DOB 1997) is being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond. A bond review hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

From the probable cause statement:

On 7/25/2026 at 12:18 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1400 block of Kimberly Lane. The reporting party stated they could hear a female in the area yelling for help. Dispatch received a second 911 call from the victim stating her boyfriend Eric Neal had assaulted her.

Officers located and contacted Neal at the 1400 block of south Baker Boulevard. Upon officer arrival, the vitim stated she was 10 weeks pregnant with Neal's child and had sustained multiple injuries. The victim stated she went to check on Neal at his apartment due to him being intoxicated and making suicidal statements.

The victim began to leave and Neal proceeded to grab hold of her to prevent from leaving. The victim was able to push her way out and exit the apartment.

Neal told the victim he would show her why everyone called him crazy. The victim stated Neal grabbed a hold of her cell phone and threw it on the ground. Neal then grabbed the victim and began slamming her head into one of the vehicles in the parking lot.

Neal then lifted the victim and threw her onto the ground. The victim stated Neal began punching her in the face several times. The victim stated Neal then grabbed a hold of her neck and attempted to choke her.

The victim stated when she was thrown onto the ground she lost consciousness .

The victim had redness on both of her arms, redness on top of her left hand and redness and swelling on her forehead and left ear. The victim also stated she possibly fractured her right thumb due to having limited mobility.

As officers were conducting a consent search of Neal's person, a small, clear plastic baggie with white powdery residue was located on his person.

The investigation was conducted by the Carthage Police Department.