Texas Mom Allegedly Shoots 5-Year-Old Son While Aiming at Neighbor’s Dog

A woman in Houston, Texas, has been arrested and charged after she allegedly accidentally shot her 5-year-old son while aiming at a neighbor’s dog.

On Saturday around 2:15 p.m., authorities say Angelia Mia Vargas, 24, tried to shoot a loose dog running near 700 Dunham Road, firing three shots with a small caliber pistol.

However, one of the bullets ricocheted and struck her own son in the abdomen.

“Investigators learned the child’s mother, suspect Vargas, had fired a small caliber pistol three times at a dog running loose across the street,” the police statement read.

The young boy, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was stabilized.

The unidentified owner of the 6-month-old boxer named Bruno later told KTRK on Tuesday that he heard his dog barking in the front yard and went outside to bring him in.

“I came out of my house because Bruno was barking and barking. I thought my brother was coming,” the man told the outlet. “So, I open the door just a little bit and he comes running out.”

However, in a Ring doorbell video obtained by KTRK, Bruno roams out onto the street, and less than a second later, multiple shots are heard ringing out.

The outlet adds that Bruno was grazed on one leg from the event, but is otherwise OK. Additionally, Bruno’s owner was given a Class C misdemeanor citation for having a loose dog.

“She could have handled it differently. You know, she was there, her husband was there, I was there, nothing would have happened. Nothing bad like that,” the dog owner said about the woman’s alleged actions.

Vargas was ultimately charged with one count of deadly conduct with a discharge of a firearm after prosecutors allege she had fired across a public roadway and in the direction of two occupied houses.

Overall, the dog owner says he feels for the young boy and reveals that he suffers nightmares from the incident.