Authorities said the woman gave investigators information that helped lead officers to two New Iberia men.
JEANERETTE, La. — A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital after police said she was kidnapped and thrown from a moving vehicle May 26 in Jeanerette, leading to the arrests of two New Iberia men.
The woman’s medical evaluation is one of the central facts in the case because the charges include domestic abuse battery of a pregnant victim and attempted first-degree feticide. Police did not release the woman’s name, her age, the extent of her injuries or an update on the pregnancy. The men arrested were identified as Brett Michael Phillips, 34, and Chris Adam Phillips, 36.
Officers were called to Katherine Street at about 6:26 p.m. after residents reported that a woman had been thrown from a moving vehicle. When police arrived, they found her being helped by people nearby. The department said the woman was able to tell investigators about the people involved. Police later said the victim was pregnant and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation. That sequence, from street response to hospital care, became the basis for the first public account of the case.
The police statement does not describe the hospital visit in detail. It does not say whether the woman was treated and released, admitted for further care or evaluated by specialists because of the pregnancy. It also does not say whether the unborn child was injured. Those unknowns are important because the attempted feticide count suggests investigators are examining possible harm directed at or risking the pregnancy. The charge remains an accusation unless proven in court.
Police said the woman was in a dating relationship with one of the suspects. That detail moved part of the case into domestic abuse territory, but officials did not say whether the dating partner was Brett Phillips or Chris Phillips. They also did not say how long the relationship had lasted, whether police had responded to earlier calls involving the couple or whether a protective order existed. No public report has identified the woman or described her account beyond the information she gave officers at the scene.
Brett Phillips was charged with domestic abuse battery of a pregnant victim, second-degree kidnapping, attempted first-degree feticide, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving without a license. Chris Phillips was charged with principal to domestic abuse battery of a pregnant victim, principal to second-degree kidnapping, principal to attempted first-degree feticide, failure to seek assistance and simple assault. Police have not explained why Brett Phillips was charged as the primary defendant on some counts while Chris Phillips was charged as a principal.
The failure to seek assistance count against Chris Phillips stands out because the police account says residents, not either suspect, helped the woman after the incident. The department did not publicly describe what Chris Phillips allegedly did or failed to do after the woman was thrown from the vehicle. It also did not say whether emergency medical services were called by residents, police or another party. Those facts may become clearer if arrest affidavits, court filings or hearing testimony are released. The neighborhood response appears to have shaped the investigation from the beginning. Police said concerned citizens helped the woman and later assisted officers in tracking down the suspects. The public reports do not name the residents or say whether they witnessed the woman leave the vehicle, saw the vehicle itself or only found her afterward. Police also did not announce whether they had dash camera footage, home surveillance video or other recordings from the Katherine Street area.
The alleged kidnapping element remains only partly described. Officials said the woman was kidnapped, but they have not said where she was first taken, whether force was used before she entered the vehicle or whether there were stops before Katherine Street. Jeanerette is a small city in Iberia Parish, about 120 miles west of New Orleans, and the suspects were described as New Iberia residents. Police did not say whether the alleged conduct crossed city limits or whether investigators were reviewing a broader route.
The two men were booked into the Juandre Gilliam Law Enforcement Center before being transferred to the Iberia Parish Jail. The first reports did not give bond amounts, attorney information or court dates. In felony cases, prosecutors can keep, reduce, add or decline charges after reviewing police reports and evidence. The court process also may bring hearings where investigators explain why each count was filed and what evidence supports it.
For now, the public record is built from a short series of confirmed steps: residents called police, officers found the pregnant woman on Katherine Street, she was taken for medical care, she identified people involved and police arrested two New Iberia men. The unanswered medical and procedural questions remain central to what happens next.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.