Father of Three-Year-Old Shooting Victim Arrested, Left Loaded Handgun Unattended

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS -- Over the past 48-hours, 39 individuals were arrested and booked into the Tom Green County Jail. Out the 39, one man was arrested in regards to the the May 22 incident that left a three-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound. 

Just after 6:00 p.m. on May 22, 2017, San Angelo Police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of E. Harris for the report of a shooting victim, read a SAPD press release. 

Officers arrived and learned the shooting victim, a 3-year-old male, had been transported by private vehicle to Shannon Medical Center. The child was later flown to Cook’s Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas for further treatment. The child has been reported to be in stable condition. 

On Wednesday evening, the father of the three-year-old male, Cody Daniel Barrientes, 26,  was arrested and charged with Endanger Child Criminal Negligence. According to court documents, on May 22 an on-scene officer headed to Shannon Medical Center to speak with Barrientes after he was informed that the three-year-old had shot himself. 

During a noncustodial interview, the SAPD officer learned that Barrientes had been "walking around the interior of his residence carrying a firearm" prior to the accident. After a while, Barrientes went to his sofa, placed his firearm between the cushions of the sofa and proceeded to sit on the floor to play with his children and new family puppy. 

As Barrientes and his children were playing, the victim removed the firearm from between the cushions of the sofa and discharged the firearm. The bullet then struck the three-year-old causing serious bodily injury.

During the interview, Barrientes also told the SAPD officer that he had previously allowed the three-year-old to handle the firearm and taught him how to cock the hammer on the firearm back. 

After hearing Barrientes' account of events, Barrientes was charged with Endanger Child Criminal Negligence for giving the three-year-old access to a loaded firearm that "he had instructed the victim on how to operate unattended."

According to the daily booking and release reports, Barrientes is still in custody on a $10,000 surety bond. 

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