WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A 28-year-old man is indicted for family violence assault with a prior conviction after police said he got in an argument and hit the mother of his unborn child on their way to her doctor’s appointment.

Thomas Gates Jr. was arrested in May on the Lowe’s parking lot. Police said witnesses said they saw a woman jump out of the car, and the man pulled her back in. Officers arrived and separated the couple.

The woman told them she was pregnant with Gates’ child and he was taking her to her doctor’s appointment. She said on the way, they began to argue about him seeing other women and she told him she was going to stop seeing him.

That’s when she said he backhanded her in the face.

She said he drove around and never took her to the doctor or let her have her phone to call for help. She said when he stopped the car, she jumped out but he dragged her back in and began hitting her again.

When they got to Lawrence and Kell, she said she got out again.