SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 31, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A Magna woman has been charged with child abuse after police say her young son shot himself with her handgun.
“Today, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced that a criminal charge has been filed against Melanie Guerra Delgado for an allegation of aggravated child abuse,” said in a Thursday news release from his office.
The charge stems from an Aug. 2 incident at her residence.
“Upon arriving home Ms. Guerra Delgado needed to use the restroom and allegedly placed her firearm on a shelf before entering the room.”
While in the bathroom, she heard the sound of a shelf falling, then moments later, a gunshot.
“The defendant exited the room and found the victim (her 3-year-old son) with a gunshot wound to the foot.”
The child was taken to Primary Children’s Hospital for surgery. The 25-year-old is charged with the third-degree felony charge of “aggravated child abuse — reckless,” according to charging documents filed Thursday. Police say the child was wounded by the mother’s .22 caliber handgun which fell when the shelf broke.
The defendant and her husband told police they have multiple guns in the house typically stored on a shelf in the pantry. They have no gun safe or gun locks, according to Guerra Delgado’s probable cause affidavit.
“This is an incident that could have taken a deadly turn,” Gill said. “We are very fortunate that this child will recover following surgery.
“I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone to secure their firearms and be mindful of who could have access to them.”
