Woman Arrested After 3-Year-Old Shoots 2-Year-Old Brother
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- A woman has been arrested after a 3-year-old shot and critically injured his 2-year-old brother.
"They wanted to play cops and robbers," said the brothers' 14-year-old sister, who did not want to be identified. "It was pretty traumatic."
Police in Colorado Springs arrested the boys' mother, Monica Abeyta, 30, on suspicion of felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. The sister says the gun belongs to their mother.
Officers rushed to the 4300 block of Driftwood Drive at 1:30 p.m. Saturday to investigate the shooting.
The boys' older sister talked about what the police told her about the shooting.
"They said that it was in her purse and that he got it out of there," she said. "You (would) think that mother would have the instinct to take care of her child. I guess she just doesn't have that."
Police believe the 3 year old was in the home and got a hold of a gun and was playing with it when it discharged, injuring the 2 year old.
"I just don't want people to put a bad look on her because of what happened," neighbor to the family Alazia Gray said. "Because that's not the type of parent she is. She is a very, very loving parent. Her kids are very, very well taken care of."
The young child's condition was first listed as critical and later upgraded to serious. Neither boy's name was released.