By Monica Land
VARDAMAN – A 4-year-old girl is dead and her mother in custody after authorities said the child was shot in the head. Juliette Pachecano Gutierrez was taken off life support Friday night at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis after she was airlifted there after being shot at her home.
Authorities said the child’s mother, 22-year-old Maria Pachecano, initially told authorities that Juliette was injured after hitting her head while jumping on a bed.
Calhoun County Sheriff Greg Pollan said the incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. at a residence in the 100 block of Culpepper Drive in Vardaman.
Neighbors reported hearing a loud “noise” and then saw Pachecano carrying the child next door, WTVA reported.
Willie Johnson told WTVA he was on his front porch when he heard the commotion and walked around to the back of his house to see Pachecano carrying Juliette to Trudy Rangel’s house.
Rangel told authorities Pachecano kept calling out to the child, but Juliette never responded.
Juliette was taken to Le Bonheur where a social worker with the hospital notified the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office when it was discovered Juliette had a gunshot wound to the left cheek.
Pachecano and her boyfriend, 34-year-old Juan Carlos Sanchez, were arrested at the hospital and charged with contributing to the delinquency and negligence of a minor and tampering with physical evidence of a crime scene.
Pollan said investigators searched the Culpepper Drive residence and recovered a .22 caliber handgun which was weapon used in the incident.
He said his office is now trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, which may include Juliette may have been playing with the gun.
“That part of the investigation is ongoing. … ,“ Pollan said. “We’re trying to figure out who pulled the trigger [and] who was in the house.”
The girl’s grandfather told authorities it was an accident.
Further charges against Pachecano and Sanchez may be pending.
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