A Niles man is facing the possibility of life in prison after he was formally charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend Saturday in Niles.

Edward Vernon Doran, 40, was arraigned in Berrien County Court Monday on four felony counts, including attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Judge Dennis Wiley set Doran’s bond at $500,000 cash or surety.

According to court documents, Niles police responded to a report of a violent assault at a residence in the 400 block of South State Street in Niles at 6:50 p.m. There, police found a 29-year-old female victim who said her live-in boyfriend, Doran, had hit her in the head with a hammer and stabbed her. The victim had stab wounds in the chest and hands, according to a police report.

The woman told police she escaped the residence by jumping out a first floor window and fleeing to a neighbor’s house.

Police attempted to make contact with Doran. Upon entering the residence, officers detected an odor of natural gas and reported that Doran, who was in the basement, told them he was going to blow up the house. Officers quickly exited the residence and began evacuating neighboring homes.

At that time, the Niles City Fire Department and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service responded and staged a short distance away.

Doran surrendered peacefully 30 minutes later and was taken into custody.

According to court documents, the victim told police Doran had threatened to commit suicide prior to assaulting her.

The victim was transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend where she is listed in stable condition.

Doran has one previous conviction for domestic violence in 2003.

In addition to attempted murder, Doran was arraigned on one count of aggravated domestic assault, one count of assault by strangulation and one count of assault causing great bodily harm.

A preliminary court hearing will be scheduled within the next two weeks.