A Texas Mother Allegedly Shoots 5-Year-Old Son While Trying to Aim at Neighbor's Dog

The wounded boy's mother was charged with one count of deadly conduct, police stated

Photo: Houston Police Department

A Houston woman was arrested after she allegedly shot her own son while attempting to shoot her neighbor's dog, according to a police statement.

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Angelia Vargas was charged with one count of deadly conduct with a discharge of a firearm, police stated.

Houston Police received a 911 call for a shooting at about 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, officials said. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 5-year-old boy had been struck in the abdomen by a ricocheting bullet.

"Investigators learned the child's mother, suspect Vargas, had fired a small caliber pistol three times at a dog running loose across the street," reads the police statement.

The owner of the 6-month-old boxer named Bruno told local TV station ABC13 that he heard his dog barking in the front yard and went outside to bring him inside when he heard the gun shots.

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"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," said Bruno's owner, who didn't want to be identified.

He told the station he felt bad for the child getting hit and continues to have nightmares about the incident.

"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," he told the station.

The boy was treated for non-life threatening wounds, police said according to ABC13.

Investigators stated the dog's owner was issued a citation for the dog running loose.