A North Carolina man was arrested after his pregnant wife accidentally shot herself, “killing her 7-month-old unborn baby” in the process.
Police said Luis Marcano-Marcano fired a gun on Sunday, April 12, in Mint Hill while he was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, according to KPTV.
Officers said that his wife then took the gun away from him and she accidentally shot herself in the stomach as she tried to put the pistol in her pocket, which caused her to kill “the unborn baby.”
Following the incident, Marcano-Marcano took his wife to the hospital before he returned home and threw the weapon into a wooded area.
Marcano-Marcano’s wife then reported the incident to police. She told police that her husband shot at the ground near her, and she explained that she grabbed the gun because he had been drinking and she didn’t want him to get in trouble.
It is not currently clear where exactly the alleged shooting took place or what events led to Marcano-Marcano, 41, shooting the gun in the first place.
Police reports obtained by the outlet did not specify what condition the woman was in or if she was hospitalized as of Monday, April 13.
Marcano-Marcano has been charged with discharging a firearm in city limits and is currently in police custody, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
Court documents also indicate that Marcano-Marcano was placed under an ICE detainer due to pending warrants in Venezuela. Details about the pending warrants were not immediately shared.
Marcano-Marcano has been ordered to be held on a $1 million bond, with a judge citing the circumstances of the case. The judge also said that he believed Marcano-Marcano is “a danger to the public.”
The judge went on to allege that Marcano-Marcano threw the gun into the woods following the shooting, which interfered with the investigation. Additionally, the judge claimed that Marcano-Marcano introduced a firearm into the situation that resulted in the death of his unborn child.
As of Tuesday, April 14, Marcano-Marcano is not facing any murder or manslaughter charges in connection to the shooting. However, such charges may be added as the investigation continues because a person can be charged with murder in connection with the death of a fetus in the state of North Carolina.
It is not currently clear if Marcano-Marcano has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the situation.
