Photo: Houston Police Department
A Texas mom was arrested Saturday after attempting to shoot a loose dog in her neighborhood but accidentally shot her five-year-old son instead. The woman, Angelina Mia Vargas, 24, was on a bike ride around her Houston neighborhood with her family when the incident occured.
During the family’s bike ride through the Houston suburbs, a six-month-old boxer puppy, Bruno, escaped his house and ran towards the Vargas family. The dog’s owner claimed that the dog got out when he opened his door, thinking his brother, who he was expecting, had arrived at his house.
“I came out of my house because, you know, he was barking and barking. You know, I thought it was my brother who was coming, so I opened the door just a little bit and [Bruno] comes running out,” the owner said.
As the owner of the dog tried to bring him back inside, Vargas fired three shots at the loose dog with a small caliber pistol. While one shot grazed the leg of the dog, one ricocheted and hit Vargas’s son in the abdomen. The child was taken to the hospital and is currently in stable condition. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening.
The incident was captured by a doorbell camera outside of the owner’s home. In the video, the owner can be seen chasing after the dog and calling it back inside. Shortly after the owner ran out, three gunshots are heard along with screaming.
The dog’s owner was issued a citation for his pet running loose. Vargas was arrested and “charged with deadly conduct - discharge of a firearm” according to the Houston Police Department. This charge was due to Vargas firing “across a public roadway and in the direction of two occupied houses,” the Houston Police stated in a news release on Tuesday.
Bruno’s owner recounted the incident, stating that, “I felt bad because of what happened to the little boy. I just heard everybody screaming and yelling and guns.
“There could have been different ways you could have handled that,” he continued, referencing the outcome of the incident.
Since her arrest, Vargas has been released on bond.
In the U.S., gun violence equates to 73% of all homicides. In 2019, there were 14,400 shooting deaths. Currently in Texas, you do not need a permit to purchase a handgun, and the firearm does not have to be registered. However, permits are required for both concealed carry and open carry of a firearm. The state-issued permit needed in order to carry a pistol requires a background check, proficiency exam and required training before obtaining the permit.
Recently, Republicans in the Texas State Legislature passed a bill that would allow any Texan over the age of 21 to carry a pistol without a license. The bill has not yet been signed into law, but Governor Greg Abbott has said that it will be soon.
This law to remove almost all government barriers to carrying a handgun in public in the state comes amidst a nationwide battle regarding gun laws. In April, the Supreme Court agreed to review a large case regarding the lengths states may go in regulating individuals carrying firearms.
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Livvie Brault is an intern who writes about entertainment, news, and pop culture.