MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A Middletown father has admitted guilt after his son accidentally shot himself with a gun that was left in a bedroom of the home, investigators said.
Fernando Enamorado, 31, was charged in April with endangering children, a third-degree felony and later indicted by a Butler County grand jury.
Enamorado pleaded guilty Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court to a reduced charge of attempted endangering children, a fourth-degree felony. Judge Michael Oster set sentencing for Oct. 31. He faces a maximum of 18 months behind bars. He is free on bond.
Middletown police officers were called April 27 to a residence in the 800 block of 10th Avenue for a report of a gunshot wound.
Police found a 5-year-old boy who had a gunshot wound to the leg. The child was taken to the Atrium Medical Center for treatment and flown to an area children’s hospital.
The investigation determined the boy was playing with a gun he found in his father’s bedroom when he accidentally shot himself.
Middletown detectives said Enamorado was away from his house for about an hour when the boy shot himself in the right leg with a 9mm handgun. The boy’s 14-year-old brother and two other juveniles were in the house at the time.
Defense attorney Frank Schiavone III said Enamorado is overwhelmed with regret.
“He knows this whole thing was just a tick away from a dead child,” Schiavone said when Enamorado was indicted.
Enamorado and his brother left the house to go to Lowe’s to get equipment for their business. The teen was left in charge.
“He got a call at Lowe’s from home that this had happened and immediately called 911,” Schiavone said.
Enamorado had a CCW permit for the gun, but it was not secured when he left the house.
“It was a terrible accident,” Schiavone said. “They had been told never to go into Dad’s bedroom.”
Schiavone said the child has recovered and there was no permanent damage from the injury.
Enamorado admitted to detectives he left the gun unsecured inside the bedroom when he left the home, according to Middletown Municipal Court documents.
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