A Florida mother and her fiancé were arrested after her 2-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself while in bed next to his mother.
The tragic incident unfolded when Natalie Cruz's son found a gun and fatally shot himself while laying on a bed of their home in Port St. Lucie, WPTV reported.
Cruz and her fiancé, Quintenn Wesley, both face charges related to their negligence in allowing the child access to the firearm. The gun, which belonged to Wesley, was allegedly left in close proximity to the child in the bedroom, despite Wesley having a gun safe in the home.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the child critically injured, and despite efforts to save him at the hospital, he was pronounced dead.
Cruz, who had previously been convicted of grand theft and is prohibited from owning firearms, admitted to having been in the room when the shooting occurred. Wesley also acknowledged owning the gun but claimed he had unloaded it before the incident.
Evidence later contradicted his statements, revealing that the gun was loaded and left within reach of the child. On Friday, both Cruz and Wesley were arrested by U.S. Marshals.
Cruz faces a $55,000 bond, while Wesley's bond is set at $15,000. Both remain in jail as the case progresses.
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