Reported by Lindsey Seavert

A pregnant woman's fetus did not survive after what she described as an attack carried out by her boyfriend.

Columbus Police received a call about a domestic dispute at 824 Como Avenue around 8 p.m. Saturday. When officers arrived, they report they found Amber Justus, 20, suffering from injuries.

Her boyfriend, Joshua A. Balling, is now facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter. But he told 10TV exclusively Sunday night that the altercation with his girlfriend was a case of self defense.

Balling was still in the Franklin County jail Sunday night when he wanted to speak with 10TV, saying he believes he is wrongly accused.

The 19 year old said he only pushed his girlfriend in self defense. But he also contends the shoving match is not what killed Amber Justus unborn baby.

Joshua Balling wiped away a couple of tears as he sat in handcuffs at the county lockup downtown.

"That kills me. That kills me," Balling said of learning his unborn baby died.

"It hurt me inside. I was ready to cry and everything."

Sunday, Justus told 10TV she was too distraught to speak on camera. But she said Balling had never hit her before.

She says he was drunk Saturday night and repeatedly punched her in the stomach. Her brother said he saw it all.

"He was picking her up, and he threw over the speaker. We got in there, and she fell on her stomach over there and scratched her knees up on the floor," Brandon Driggers recalled.

But Balling said Justus had been drinking as well, and claimed it was her who attacked him.

I walked in the house, and she was about to choke me. And I pushed her off of me. Then she went in the back room, and I followed her. And I guess I pushed her again," Balling said.

Balling said his girlfriend regularly abused him, and he was defending himself. He denies ever punching Justus in the stomach.

"I did not do it. No. I put that on my life. I did not do it," insisted Balling.

Instead, Balling contended Justus did not want their child. She is already the mother of one child.
Balling is the father of two other young children. This would have been their first child together.

"She even told my mom (Sunday) she was beating herself in her stomach. She told my mom that, so I don't know."

While he clings to claims of innocence, Justus' family prays for punishment.

"I think he should spend his life in (jail.) He killed a little baby that was just not born," Driggers said.

Balling was expected to be arraigned on the involuntary manslaughter charge Monday morning.