Calif. Toddler Accidentally Shoots and Kills Mother with Unsecured Gun: Police
By: By Ingrid Vasquez
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Calif. Toddler Accidentally Shoots and Kills Mother with Unsecured Gun: Police
The woman's boyfriend was charged with child endangerment
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Jessinya Mina. Photo: Fresno Police Department/Facebook
A 22-year-old mother in California is dead after police say her toddler accidentally shot her with an unsecured gun.
The incident occurred on Friday, Dec. 6, at an apartment where Jessinya Mina lived with her 2½-year-old toddler and an 8-month-old infant, along with her 18-year-old boyfriend, Andrew Sanchez, the Fresno Police Department said in a news release on Monday, Dec. 9.
During a news conference , Lt. Paul Cervantes said that the loaded 9mm handgun "was stored in a location where the toddler accessed the firearm, and at some point, in time, while handling that particular weapon, the toddler was able to manipulate the trigger, and it actually struck Mina as she was lying in bed."
After the incident, Sanchez and "other roommates attempted to assist Mina by giving her life-saving measures," Cervantes said.
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Jessinya Mina . Photo: GoFundMe
"They were in the process of transporting her to the hospital when they made the 911 call, and instructions were made to actually remain at the location and wait for police and fire to arrive," Cervantes said.
Mina, who was found with a single gunshot wound to her upper body, would later receive emergency aid from officers and EMS personnel before being transported to the Community Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the news release explains.
Cervantes said Sanchez was detained and gave a statement indicating that "he was, in fact, responsible for placing the weapon in a location where it could be accessed."
Sanchez was booked at the Fresno County Jail for one count of felony child endangerment and one count of felony criminal storage of a firearm, per the press release. He has posted bail, Cervantes said, noting that Sanchez has no criminal history.
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Andrew Sanchez . Photo: Fresno Police Department/Facebook
"We're continuing to work this investigation forward, collaborating with the district attorney's office to see [that] the appropriate charges are going to be filed," he added.
Cervantes stated that while the incident "appears to be a tragedy," there is an ongoing investigation, which includes forensic analysis of the evidence and Mina's autopsy.
"The Fresno Police Department is deeply saddened by this type of tragedy, that’s devastating and definitely serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon and do so in a manner that children do not access it," he added.
In a statement to ABC 30 , Mina's sister, Jessica Rodriguez, said Mina was in the process of going back to cosmetology school and finishing her career.
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"My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence," she added, remembering her sister as "a beautiful soul who touched the lives of anyone she ever encountered."
Rodriguez has set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds for Mina's funeral arrangements and care of her two children.
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Why aren't the toddlers being given basic training in gun use? I'm guessing someone is going to post a comment about immigrants.
“I'm guessing someone is going to post a comment about…”
…pick your poison…as yet another funeral is being planned, another family is shattered, and some remain content in ignoring that we do indeed have a gun problem in this country.
Just another tragic event that will soon be forgotten when the inevitable next installment promises the same level of deflection and defiance.
Wish I could double my vote up for that reply. It's too true to be respected by the unfeeling gun lovers.
Gangbangers do a lot of drive by shootings. Many of their innocent victims are women and children.
But no one complains about them.
Lots of people on both sides of the aisle complain about drive by shootings and gang violence and the threat they and their easy access to guns pose to the rest of society.
I think it's interesting regarding the gun issue that progressives want stricter regulation and more barriers constructed to prevent "bad" people from getting a gun such as background checks, more comprehensive mandatory gun safety courses and a universal database but conservatives basically want an "open borders" gun policy. And in regards to our borders, conservatives want stricter regulation and more barriers constructed to prevent "bad" people from getting into our country. Conservatives claim stricter gun laws and more barriers are a waste of money because bad guys don't care about the law and will always be able to find ways to get guns. Progressives point out how stricter border laws and more walls that are defeated with a $30 ladder from Home Depot are also a waste of money because bad guys don't care about the law and will always be able to find ways to get into our country whether over or under whatever barriers we build.
So perhaps we can come together, find common ground and compromise just a little and support both increased border control while at the same time supporting stricter background checks and gun safety? Meet in the middle of the issues as it were even though we all know there is no absolute fix that will get ALL the guns most often used in mass shootings or crimes out of "bad" people's hands and there's no amount of walls that will eliminate all "bad" immigrants from getting into our country.
We know the majority of people who own the guns most often used in mass shootings like the AR-15 are not bad people committing violent crimes, the ones who are committing those crimes are a very small percentage of gun owners. We also know that the majority of undocumented immigrants are not "bad" people committing violent crimes, only a small percentage of them are committing violent crimes. Some conservatives say even one violent criminal "illegal immigrant" is too many. And some progressives say even one more mother or father or child killed by an unsecured improperly stored firearm is too many.
Hypocrisy is an American problem in more issues than those you've mentioned, and you didn't even mention the mental health problem unless it's included in "background checks" although that doesn't solve the greater mental health issue.
There is no excuse for having an unsecured gun in the house. If you can afford a gun you can afford a gun safe.
Correct, but this was even a worse situation - a loaded (unlocked?) gun accessible to a toddler?
Hopefully he gets the DP or at least a life sentence. While I have no problem with responsible gun ownership this is not an example of that
Life in prison with no parole. He gave up his right to freedom, and an eye for an eye is too biblical.
To each their own
LOL. I deserved that reply after all the times I've said that in French on NT.