RAMONA, Calif. — Authorities revealed Monday that a toddler's injuries from a gunshot wound to the leg were the result of negligent handling of a handgun by residents inside her home in Ramona.
On Sunday, around 11:15 a.m., Santee Deputies responded to Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in Santee for a 2-year-old female toddler with a gunshot wound to the leg. After a preliminary investigation, it was learned the incident occurred in a home in the 24200 block of Sargent Rd. in Ramona.
Deputies found that the girl had been in a bedroom at the home with her mother, 20-year-old Victoria Tejada; her mother's boyfriend, 18-year-old Roman Estrada; and Tejada's adult brother. Estrada was allegedly showing the other two an illegally possessed, loaded gun and accidentally pulled the trigger when trying to disassemble it.
The bullet struck the toddler in the leg and the mother reportedly noticed she was bleeding and crying but no parties attempted to call for emergency medical assistance.
According to authorities, the mother and her boyfriend then drove the toddler to a clinic in Ramona which was closed, then to the hospital in Santee for treatment. While Tejeda was with her daughter, Estrada hid the still loaded gun in buses outside the hospital, sheriffs said.
An ambulance transported the child to Rady Children's Hospital. The bullet was removed from her leg and she is expected to make a full recovery, according to authorities.
Sheriffs said Estrada told deputies what happened and where he hid the gun which they recovered.
Ramona Detectives arrested Estrada for the negligent discharge of a firearm, child neglect, and child endangerment. He was booked into custody at the San Diego Central Jail. Tejeda was also arrested for charges of child endangerment and child neglect and booked into custody at the Las Colinas Detention Facility. She was released after posting $100,000 bail.
The child was being cared for by Child Protective Services as of Monday and the investigation was ongoing.