Bowling Green man indicted for allegedly murdering pregnant girlfriend

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (WTVG) - A grand jury indicted a man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend.

A Wood County Grand Jury indicted Jimmy David Cole, 29, on murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence charges in the death of his 23-year-old girlfriend, Alicia Rosa. According to the Wood County Prosecutor, Paul Dobson, Cole is accused of stabbing Rosa several times.

A statement from the prosecutor’s office said Cole and Rosa were reportedly in a relationship and the child she was carrying was Cole’s.

Cole is facing three counts of murder. Dobson said the first count is for trying to kill Rosa, the second count is for trying to kill the unborn child and the third count is charged “in the alternative” meaning Cole would only be sentenced on two of the three murder charges if he is convicted of the first two counts. That third count of murder charges Cole with causing Rosa’s death “as a proximate result of committing the offense of Felonious Assault.”

Prosecutors also alleged he tried to destroy or conceal evidence of the crime but did not release specifics. If Cole were to be convicted of all charges, he’d face a maximum sentence of 33 years to life in prison.

“While we are just at the beginning stages of the prosecution and Mr. Cole is innocent until he is proven guilty, we are hopeful that we have taken the first steps to bring closure to Ms. Rosa’s family for this violent act,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The family has asked that their desire for privacy be honored as they deal with this terrible loss.”

On March 31, officers from the Fostoria Police Department, the Bowling Green Police Department and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority arrested Cole in Fostoria for parole violations, according to a statement from Fostoria PD. Law enforcement officials were searching for Cole earlier that day, saying he was a person of interest in the “suspicious death” of Rosa.

Police found Rosa’s body at a home in the 300 block of N. Main Street on March 30 when they responded to a call for an unresponsive person.

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