Authorities said a pregnant woman found dead in South Carolina was killed by her boyfriend in North Carolina before being left on the side of a road.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested 28-year-old Mahmood Bhatti and charged him with the murder of Natalie Merrick and her unborn child.
Bhatti was arrested overnight following a joint investigation with the York County, South Carolina, Sheriff's Office.
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Deputies in York County found a woman's body on Oct. 19 on the side of Dobys Bridge Road in Fort Mill. The coroner completed an autopsy of the woman and determined that she was pregnant when she was killed.
At the time, authorities could not identify her.
During the investigation, detectives determined she was killed somewhere else and that her body was dumped on the side of the road.
The next day, on Oct. 20, CMPD responded to a missing person call on Via Romano Drive in Charlotte -- the last known address for Merrick, 23.
Detectives determined that the body found in Fort Mill was Merrick.
Investigators learned on Oct. 24 that the crime took place in Charlotte and they developed Bhatti as the suspect.
Police said Bhatti and Merrick were in a long-term relationship and had a child together. Authorities have not said how Merrick was killed or why.
Bhatti was taken into custody at midnight and was booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
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