Gun Owner Pleads Not Guilty After Accidental Mother’s Day Shooting

An Indio man blamed for allowing a gun to fall into the hands of a child who accidentally shot and wounded a 7-year-old girl at a Mother’s Day family party pleaded not guilty to two felony charges today.

Miguel Angel Sanchez, 26, is charged with felony counts of willful child cruelty and criminal storage of a firearm with access to children. Police believe he is the owner of the gun that one child accidentally used to fire at the girl.

Investigators determined the girl was accidentally shot in the chest while playing — unsupervised — with other children in a bedroom of Sanchez’s Ocean Beach Lane home during the family party.

The girl, who has not been identified, remains in serious but stable condition at Loma Linda Medical Center, according to Indio police Cmdr. Ben Guitron.

Sanchez — who had bail set at $30,000 — lives at the home in the 83400 block of Ocean Beach Lane with his “significant other” and children, according to police. Sanchez is related to the injured girl but is not a member of her immediate family, Guitron said.

Sanchez left the house prior to the arrival of officers and allegedly avoided contact with police, Guitron said. He was arrested Tuesday morning at a residence in the 84500 block of Avenue 52 in Coachella.

The injured girl lives in Indio, but not at the home where the shooting occurred, Guitron said. “She was there visiting due to the family celebration” when the shooting took place at 8:43 p.m. Sunday, he said.

The child came out of the bedroom complaining of chest pains after being shot. She was driven to JFK Memorial Hospital by family members and later transferred to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, according to police.

“We’re happy the child is in serious but stable condition. That gives us a sign of hope because (Sunday) we didn’t know which way it was going to go,” Guitron said. “Hopefully she walks away with just remembering she had a bad weekend.”

Sanchez will next appear in court May 23.