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Man Allegedly Shoots Infant Girl In The Head After Mother Rejects His Romantic Advances

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A man allegedly shot an infant girl in the head Sunday after the girl’s mother rejected his romantic advances, police say.

Police arrested Marco Antonio Echartea, 23, Sunday, for allegedly shooting at a woman’s car, striking her 10-month-old daughter, Fayth Percy, with a bullet in the head, in Fresno, California, The Fresno Bee reported.

Echartea reportedly made a romantic advance toward the infant’s mother, Deziree Menagh, 18, inside a home at 3607 E. Hammond Ave. in Fresno prior to the shooting, according to police. Menagh reportedly pulled away from Echartea and then walked outside. Later on, Echartea is reported to have tried to get Menagh to sit on his lap, to which she resisted again, police say.

Menagh and a male friend left the premises with the infant in a vehicle when they noticed Echartea approaching the car.

“At some point when he got close, he pulled out a handgun and fired three rounds into the driver’s side window, which was up,” Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said during a press conference Sunday.

“One of those rounds struck baby Fayth on the side of the head as she was being held by her mother Deziree, who was seated in the right front passenger seat,” he continued.

Police responded to the Hammond Ave. residence and arrested Echartea on three counts of attempted murder.

Dyer described Echartea as having “no regard for human life, even a baby.”

He said that Echartea knew there was an infant in the car when he decided to shoot at it.

“I know the parents are broken. They are hurting. We held hands at the hospital and prayed for the baby, and we’re asking that everyone in this community come together and pray for baby Fayth for a complete recovery,” Dyer said.

Percy survived the shooting and is presently hospitalized in critical, yet stable, condition, Dyer said. Bullet fragments were reportedly removed from the infant’s head during surgery.

Police wanted Echartea for a previous shooting that took place on May 27, where he reportedly fired several shots into a residence occupied by his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend, according to The Fresno Bee.

“In that case, one of the bullets penetrated the walls, and nearly struck another 1-year-old who was inside,” Dyer said.

“That bullet landed approximately 1 foot from where the baby was,” he continued.