A defendant accused in a quarrel of stabbing his pregnant on-again-off-again romantic partner was arraigned before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe on Aug. 10.
Jackson Onunaku, 31, heard the charges against him in a six-count indictment for first-degree burglary while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault with significant bodily injury while armed.
The alleged domestic offenses occurred on Dec. 28, 2025, in an apartment on the 1300 block of Peabody Street, NW. According to an account from responding officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the dispute arose the day of the incident when the victim informed Onunaku in a phone call that she was 12 weeks pregnant with his child.
When she asked for $100 to help pay for an abortion, she said Onunaku became irate, claiming he was not the father and that the victim was seeing another man. As the argument progressed Onunaku, according to the victim, said, “I’m going to your house and I’m going to shoot you [and] I’m going to your mom’s house and shoot her!”
Following the call, say police, Onunaku came to the victim’s apartment and kicked open the door. Once inside, the report says, he struck the victim in the head with a gun, kicked and punched her multiple times and hit her with a barstool. During the attack, Onunaku allegedly threatened to kill the victim many times with a gun and a knife. As she attempted to defend herself, the victim suffered knife wounds on her hands saying the assault dragged on for thirty minutes.
During their investigation police found blood smeared around the apartment and the victim identified Onunaku as the assailant and claimed that he had abused her throughout her pregnancy.
At the hearing, Onunaku’s attorney, Matthew Davies, pleaded not guilty on his client’s behalf and asked for the prosecution to turn over any information the victim might have benefitted from her testimony.
He also motioned for the case to be dismissed on the grounds the prosecution failed to file the indictment against Onunaku within the statutory deadline. However, Judge Pipe denied the request saying that the charges were filed well in advance of the Oct. 5 trial date.
The judge also ruled that Onunaku must remain in jail.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 4.
