A Montreal man is facing multiple charges in connection with the stabbing of his pregnant partner and subsequent death of the newborn baby boy.

Sofiane Ghazi, 37, appeared in court by videoconference Tuesday afternoon.

He was arrested on Monday, after 33-year-old Raja Ghazi was rushed to hospital with stab wounds. She survived, but her newborn, delivered via an emergency C-section, did not.

Sofiane Ghazi was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the baby’s death and attempted murder in connection with the Raja Ghazi’s stabbing. He also faces separate charges of vehicle theft, armed robbery and breaching his conditions.

Police said Raja Ghazi was attacked around 2:30 a.m. Monday in an apartment on Langelier Boulevard in Montreal North. Neighbours told CTV Montreal that the couple frequently fought and they heard them arguing that night.

"Around 2:30 in the morning we heard the pair of them yelling, like usual. Then we heard the man run down the back stairs and get into his car and drive off," said Michel Leblanc.

"Then the woman knocked on my door, and when my wife opened the door she was covered in blood, and it looked terrible. We called 911."

Sofiane Ghazi approached police near the scene hours after the attack and turned himself in. He did not enter a plea on Tuesday.

Hours before the attack, around 10 p.m. on Sunday, police said they responded to a domestic violence call at the couple’s apartment.

When officers arrived, Sofiane Ghazi was not at home. Police said they urged Raja Ghazi to leave the residence, but she refused. The couple’s two children, however, were sent to a relative’s home.

Raja Ghazi, who police said was eight months pregnant, underwent an emergency C-section in hospital. Police told CTV Montreal that the infant was alive at the time of delivery, but died a short time later.

The medical facts of the case played a major role in the charges brought against Sofiane Ghazi.

A child becomes a “human being,” as defined by Sec. 223 of the Criminal Code, when it is born in a “living state,” regardless of whether it is breathing, has independent circulation, or the umbilical cord has been cut.

Prosecutor Anne Aube said a person can be charged with a homicide by causing injury to a child before or during its birth which results in the child's death after becoming a legally recognized human being.

Aube added that the Crown consulted jurisprudence -- none exactly similar to the case currently before the courts -- before proceeding with the charge.

"I think it’s very rare, it's not often that this situation happens," she said.

Police said they had visited the couple’s apartment multiple times in the past because of complaints about assaults and threats.

A stuffed animal has been pinned to a fence near the couple’s apartment in memory of the baby boy.

Sofiane Ghazi will remain in custody until his next court appearance, which scheduled for Aug. 25.

With files from CTV Montreal and The Canadian Press