Man, 23, ‘shoots 10-month-old girl in the head after her mom rejects him twice at a party’

Man, 23, ‘shoots 10-month-old girl in the head leaving her in critical condition after her mom rejects him twice at a party’ in California

  • The suspect, 23, faces multiple felony charges, including attempted murder
  • The young child is in a critical but stable condition and had surgery on Sunday 
  • Suspect ‘tried to hold the mother’s hand at a party’ before being rebuffed 

A 10-month-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital after a man shot her in the head after the child’s mother rejected him at a party, according to police.

Marcos Antonio Echartea, 23, was arrested on Sunday in Fresno on suspicion of three counts of attempted murder. 

The man, who is a suspect in another shooting also ‘over a female,’ is said to have shot into a car which contained the child who was being held by her mother, along with a male friend. 

Marcos Antonio Echartea was arrested Sunday on suspicion of three counts of attempted murder against the child and her mother, Fayth Percy, (pictured together) and a friend

 Video courtesy Fresno Bee

The child, Fayth Percy, is in a critical but stable condition and had surgery on Sunday to remove bullet fragments from her head, according to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. 

Chief Dyer added: ‘We’re very fortunate that she’s alive. It tears my heart up to see a baby of that age laying in the hospital.’ 

Police concluded that the incident took place in a neighborhood in the north of the California city around a week ago. 

The suspect is said to have tried to hold the mother’s hand but the 18-year-old, Deziree Menagh, rebuffed his advances and left the party. 

Just before leaving, Echartea apparently tried to pull the woman onto his lap. 

The mother reportedly told people what had happened before hopping in a car with a friend and driving about a block away before seeing Echartea ‘walking quickly towards the car.’ 

The suspect (pictured), who is a suspect in another shooting also 'over a female,' is said to have shot into a car which contained the child who was being held by her mother

The suspect (pictured), who is a suspect in another shooting also ‘over a female,’ is said to have shot into a car which contained the child who was being held by her mother

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said at this point the suspect fired his handgun towards the car three times, hitting the child as she was being held by her mother. 

Menagh’s friend called police as he drove Fayth to a hospital and officers who were nearby helped until and ambulance arrived after the friend stopped his vehicle. 

Echartea was arrested near to where the party took place later that day. 

‘We are hoping and praying that Baby Fayth is able to survive this injury as well as make a full recovery,’ Dyer said. ‘I know the parents are broken. They’re hurting.’ 

The police chief added that the 23-year-old is a suspect in another shooting in May where he fired into an ex girlfriend’s new partner’s house, penetrating a wall.

The bullet, police say, came within a foot of hitting a one-year-old inside the property. 

Echartea is now facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder and firing into an occupied dwelling. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk