Police in Houston, Texas, responded to a disturbing call over the weekend after a 5-year-old was shot just yards away from his home. As for the alleged shooter? According to authorities, it turned out to be his own mother, 24-year-old Angelia Mia Vargas, who reportedly opened fire on a neighbor's dog and accidentally struck her own son in the process.
The incident reportedly happened Saturday afternoon in a residential neighborhood in north Houston.
Witnesses say that a 6-month-old boxer puppy, who goes by the name Bruno, slipped out of his owner's home on Dunham Drive around 2:15 p.m. and sprinted toward the street.
According to the owner, who did not wish to be identified, it all happened in a matter of seconds.
"I came out of my house because Bruno was barking and barking," the owner told ABC 13. "I thought my brother was coming. I open the door just a little bit and he comes running out.”
Luckily, there were no cars on the street at the time.
However, there was a family of three riding bikes in the road — which included Vargas, her young son, and her husband, who also live on the block. And apparently, Vargas was quite startled as she saw the dog approaching.
So startled, in fact, that she pulled out a gun — and began firing.
Within seconds, Vargas managed to squeeze off three rounds from a small-caliber pistol she was carrying.
Although police say she intended to hit the dog, all three of the bullets missed her intended target, leaving the puppy with only a small graze on one leg. However, as one of the bullets ricocheted off the ground, it struck her 5-year-old son in his abdomen.
The boy was rushed to a hospital, where doctors treated him for injuries that were not life-threatening. As of Wednesday, he remained hospitalized but in stable condition.
As for Vargas, Saturday's melee has landed her in some major legal trouble.
During an investigation, prosecutors determined that Vargas had fired across a public roadway and in the direction of two occupied houses, which is illegal. Ultimately, she was arrested and charged with deadly conduct with a firearm, and the owner of the puppy was issued a citation for letting him roam loose.
MOTHER ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS CHILD: A Texas mother has been charged after police say she accidentally shot her 5-year-old son while firing multiple times at a dog running loose in a Houston neighborhood.https://t.co/A57b7CuHMv
— 8 News NOW (@8NewsNow) June 3, 2021
Investigators also took a closer look at Ring doorbell footage captured by a neighbor's home.
According to ABC 13, which also obtained the footage, it showed the dog sprinting out of the home with the owner following closely behind. Despite calling out to the dog and telling him to come back into the house, Bruno wandered further into the street and closer to Vargas and her family.
Although the dog never tried to attack or bite the family, it didn't seem to matter. Mere seconds passed before multiple gun shots could be heard on the video, followed by "extended screaming," the station reported.
Bruno's owner remains rattled by the entire event and feels terribly for the young boy, who was likely traumatized.
In some ways, the owner feels traumatized by it too, and admitted to having several nightmares since Saturday.
"I was asleep and I had a dream hearing the little boy crying, and that's what woke me up when I was sleeping yesterday," Bruno's owner shared with ABC 13.
Shouldn't be allowed to have children; figures it's Texas. No crime after shooting at a puppy who ran out the house. What kind of state allows shooting at someones dog? Texas mom accidentally shoots her own child while firing gunshots at roaming puppy https://t.co/zuCE9ywi34
— Paul Routh (@prouth) June 2, 2021
That said, his empathy for the child seems to be far greater than what he has for the mother.
"She could have handled it differently," Bruno's owner said. "You know, she was there, her husband was there, I was there, nothing would have happened. Nothing bad like that."
