A 10-month-old girl in California was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday after a man allegedly shot her in the head when her mother rejected his advances at a party.
Marco Antonio Echartea, 23, who was also wanted for a shooting in May, was arrested on attempted murder charges for an incident in Fresno that led to Fayth Percy undergoing emergency surgery to remove bullet fragments from her head. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said Percy is currently in stable condition, according to The Fresno Bee.
The baby and her mother, Deziree Menagh, 18, had gone to the Fresno residence, where Echartea was also present. Echartea had reportedly met Menagh a week prior and allegedly tried to grab her hand, leading her to pull away.
Dyer said Menagh went outside and spoke of her encounter with Echartea. This reportedly didn’t stop Echartea’s advances as he allegedly later attempted to get the mother to sit on his lap.
The mother and male friend then left the party, and were driving away with the infant when Echartea allegedly approached the vehicle, brandished a handgun, and fired three rounds into the driver’s side window, according to Dyer.
“One of those rounds struck baby Fayth on the side of the head as she was being held by her mother Deziree, who was seated in the right front passenger seat,” he said, according to The Bee.
Dyer alleged that Echartea opened fire into the car knowing that the baby was inside.
Echartea was arrested at the scene of the shooting. The Fresno Bee reported that Echartea was linked to a May 27 shooting where he allegedly fired into a residence where his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend was located. Dyer noted that he nearly shot a 1-year-old located in the home.
Dyer said, “I know the parents are broken. They’re hurting.”
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[Featured image: Marcos Antonio Echarte/Fresno Police Department]
