Criminal charges were filed Friday against a parolee who allegedly left a shotgun in the back seat of a car, where authorities say a young boy found the weapon and accidentally shot his mother in Norwalk.
Brandon Gilbert Ambriz, 24, of Norwalk, faces four felony counts of child abuse — involving four children who were in the car — and one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The criminal complaint alleges that Ambriz has four prior convictions dating back to 2013 — most recently in 2017 for first-degree burglary.
Ambriz was arrested Wednesday following the shooting in the 14600 block of Dinard Street.
“Preliminary information gathered at the scene revealed that the female’s three children were in the backseat of the vehicle when one of the children accessed an unsecured shotgun and shot her through the back of the seat,” said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The mother was in the driver’s seat when she was wounded by her son, who was described as being less than 5 years old, according to the sheriff’s department.
“The three children in the backseat, another female adult and young child who sat in the front passenger seat were not injured,” Navarro-Suarez said.
Ambriz was not in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, authorities said.
All four children were placed in the custody of the county Department of Children and Family Services.
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