Texas Mom Shoots 5-Year-Old Son While Trying To Aim For Neighbor's Loose Puppy

A Texas mom was arrested after she opened fire on a neighbor’s loose dog and accidentally shot her son.

Angelia Mia Vargas was charged with deadly conduct with a firearm after her 5-year-old child had been struck in his abdomen by a ricocheting bullet, ABC13 reported. The neighbor involved in the ordeal told the outlet that his 6-month-old boxer named Bruno had been barking at the front door moments before the terrible shooting on Saturday. And when he went to check and opened the door, the puppy suddenly made a mad dash for the front yard.

Ring camera footage then showed the owner following Bruno outside and attempting to bring him back inside the home. But seconds later, the man heard three quick gunshots and screams from the little boy’s parents across the street.

An ABC13 exclusive from @ABC13Miya: A woman riding a bike with her son shot a homeowner's Boxer puppy. She missed, hitting her 5-year-old son instead! The mom is now charged with deadly conduct. https://t.co/KMXwA1SQuP pic.twitter.com/UgOPoiQ3N2

— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) June 2, 2021

It turns out one of the bullets meant for the pooch reportedly bounced off the ground and hit her son. Neighbors who witnessed the horrible incident told ABC13 the family members were riding bikes down the street when the dog ran out. The owner, who didn’t wish to be identified, told the outlet:

“He goes walking over there and you know, he’s curious and the lady just shot. She just started pulling it out, didn’t aim or nothing. Just started shooting.”

He continued:

“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.”

You could say that again! It was a situation that really didn’t need to escalate the way that it did. We can’t even imagine how terrified the child must have been.

The man also said he felt bad for the little boy getting shot and continues to have nightmares about the accident, explaining:

“I feel bad because of what happened to the little boy … I just heard everybody screaming and yelling and guns … 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.”

Since then, the mother has been arrested and charged as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said she had fired across a public roadway and in the direction of two occupied houses. She has also been released on bond. Thankfully, the kid is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries at the hospital.

As for Bruno, he escaped with only a minor bullet graze on his front right paw. The owner has also been issued a citation from police for letting his dog run loose.