A California woman was shot and killed by her 2-year-old toddler, leading to the arrest of her boyfriend, who is accused of failing to properly store the weapon, Fresno police said this week.
Jessinya Mina, 22, died Friday after police were called to an apartment in the 5200 block of North Fresno Street, where she had been shot once in the upper body while in bed, Police Lt. Paul Cervantes said at a news conference Tuesday.
Cervantes called the shooting a “tragedy” that was “preventable.”
“The firearm was stored in a location where the toddler accessed the firearm, and then at some point in time, while handling that particular weapon, the toddler was able to manipulate the trigger,” Cervantes said.
Mina’s boyfriend, Andrew Sanchez, 18, told investigators he was responsible for the 2 ½-year-old toddler’s finding the 9 mm gun. Police said Mina had another child, an 8-month-old infant.
Sanchez was booked into jail on charges of child endangerment and criminal storage of a firearm, both felonies, police said in a statement.
Sanchez, who does not have a criminal record and tried to take his wounded girlfriend to the hospital in a vehicle, has bailed out of jail, Cervantes said.
It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether he had an attorney.
The investigation continues, Cervantes said, and police are consulting with Fresno County prosecutors about filing appropriate charges.
Prosecutors could not immediately be reached for an update on the case Wednesday afternoon.
The incident, Cervantes said, is a grim reminder for gun owners to be diligent about where they store their weapons.
“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 said.
Mina's relatives could not immediately be reached for comment.