A Florida man has been arrested after his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn baby survived being shot through the abdomen.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the woman — whose name has not been released — was dropped off at a hospital in Brandon, Fla., early on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 22.
Investigators say a single bullet “passed through the abdomen of the woman — who was about eight months pregnant — and the abdomen of the unborn child,” according to a court document.
Detectives quickly identified 44-year-old Eric Patterson as the suspected shooter, the sheriff’s office said. He was taken into custody on Tuesday.
In a pre-trial motion, authorities allege Patterson shot his girlfriend while she was sleeping in bed. The couple share four children.
Their 9-year-old daughter told police she woke up to a loud “bang” and saw Patterson apologizing to her mother, repeatedly saying, “I’m sorry, it was an accident,” while the woman clutched her stomach and cried.
Surveillance footage from near the family’s residence allegedly shows the couple leaving their apartment, with the woman holding her abdomen. She was driven to the hospital, where she was dropped off before Patterson allegedly fled, investigators said.
Doctors performed an emergency procedure to deliver the baby, then a separate surgery to remove the bullet from the newborn’s abdomen, according to the court filing.
“What could have ended as a heartbreaking tragedy is now a miracle story of survival and resilience,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement from the department.
“It is truly extraordinary that both the mother and her newborn baby survived,” he added, praising the pair for their “strength in the face of this tragedy.”
Phone records cited in the pre-trial motion show that around the time of the shooting, dispatchers received a call from a number registered to Patterson. During the brief call, a male voice said, “Don’t worry,” before hanging up. Patterson also allegedly called the victim’s mother to apologize.
Patterson is now facing several charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on a pregnant woman, tampering with physical evidence, child neglect, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Hillsborough County officials.
Online court records for Patterson do not currently list a plea or an attorney.
