Andy Brosig/News-Sun
Two individuals, including a 17-year-old, were charged this week in connection with a May shooting of a 3-year-old boy.
Amy Lee Flores, 30, of Hobbs, was arrested by deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office on Monday and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a fourth-degree felony, in connection with the shooting.
Hobbs Police on Tuesday took a 17-year-old male into custody on charges of abuse of a child, a first-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; and negligent use of a deadly weapon, a petty misdemeanor.
According to separate arrest reports from HPD and LCSO, sheriff’s deputies responded May 20 to a report of a child with a gunshot wound to the head in the 3100 block of East Stanolind Road in Hobbs. The child was found in a bedroom of the residence, being held by his mother, who was pressing a piece of clothing to his head.
The child was initially taken to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital by Hobbs Emergency Medical Services personnel and later transferred to a hospital in Lubbock. According to later reports, the child survived the gunshot wound and is recovering.
The child’s mother told deputies she was in the restroom while the boy was in an adjacent bedroom of the residence with several other children when she “heard a loud bang.” She also told investigators she heard the 17-year-old’s voice prior to the shot being fired, according to the report.
During subsequent interviews, the other children who were in the room at the time told investigators the 17-year-old had been in possession of the weapon, described in the report as a Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, prior to the shooting, but had set the weapon down at some point.
All the witnesses maintained the 3-year-old had shot himself while playing with the gun, which wasn’t found in the residence during an initial search.
Witnesses further told investigators the 17-year-old fled the residence immediately after the shooting. He was reportedly located on foot sometime later and was taken into custody for questioning — at which time he reportedly spat in a deputy’s face and kicked the interior door of a patrol car he was placed in.
During a search of the Stanolind Road property, investigators located an ammunition magazine matching the description of the one reportedly in the possession of the 17-year-old near an old camper. The Glock was found shortly thereafter secreted inside the camper, the report stated.
According to Lea County Detention Center records, the 17-year-old remained in custody in the Juvenile Detention Center in Lovington as of Wednesday afternoon. Flores was released on her own recognizance.
