A man in Florida has been arrested after his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn baby were shot. Both are now recovering.
The woman, who has not been named, was taken to a hospital in Brandon, Florida, early Saturday morning. Police say the bullet went through the woman’s stomach, who was about eight months pregnant, and also hit the baby.
Police quickly found Eric Patterson, who is 44 years old, as a suspect. He was arrested on Tuesday.
Authorities say Patterson shot his girlfriend while she was sleeping. They have four children together.
The couple’s 9-year-old daughter told police she heard a loud noise and saw Patterson saying sorry to her mom, saying it was an accident. The woman was holding her stomach and crying.
Security cameras showed the couple leaving their apartment, with the woman holding her stomach.
She was dropped off at the hospital, and police say Patterson ran away.
Doctors performed an emergency C-section and removed the baby. They also removed the bullet from the baby’s stomach in another surgery.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said it was a “miracle story of survival.” He praised the mother and child for their strength.
Police records show that around the time of the shooting, someone called dispatch from Patterson’s phone and said “Don’t worry” before hanging up. Patterson also reportedly called the woman’s mother and apologized.
Patterson is facing charges like shooting a pregnant woman with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, child neglect, and having a gun as a convicted felon.
If you’re dealing with domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. The hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in many languages.
