Baby Shot While In Utero Released From Hospital
MIAMI(CBS4) - A five-pound baby who was wounded in a drive-by shooting before she was even born is home from the hospital and her father says he expects her to make a full recovery.
Skyla Milton is one of the youngest crime victims in Miami history. She was an eight-month-old fetus when she was wounded. A bullet that struck her mother went through her body and entered Skyla's left arm.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench was at the home of Skyla Milton as she came home from Jackson Memorial Hospital with her father Phillip Milton and aunt Carolyn Milton.
"My baby means the world to me. The world," said Phillip Milton. "I'm happy to see her face. I'm happy with this situation. I told my mother I wondered if this could have ever happened. This could have been much worse. It could have been much worse."
Many neighbors had been rooting for Skyla ever since she was wounded and some chanted "Skyla" as she came home to her apartment.
Skyla was wounded on December 9th, 2012. Her 27-year-old mother Tiffany Davis was struck by two bullets.
As Skyla came home on Tuesday, she was wearing a tiny soft cast to protect that arm.
Skyla was delivered prematurely at eight months so doctors could treat her wound. She was just four pounds. She now weighs five pounds, according to her aunt, Carolyn Milton.
"One bullet went in and it went out," said Phillip Milton. "One bone has healed already. We expect her to make a full recovery."
"I was angry about this at first," he said. "But now that I see she is making a full recovery, I feel better. I will now protect her more than ever. I am going to be a very protective Dad. I am going to be an overprotective Dad."
"Now I'm looking for an apartment in another area and hope to move away to help my daughter life in a safer place," said Phillip Milton.
"I was angry too at first," said Carolyn Milton. "I feel like something wrong was done here. This never should have happened. But I am glad that Skyla and her mother are still alive. I really am."
Miami Police say between eight and ten bullets were fired in the incident as Tiffany Davis and Rodney Durrant Jr. were leaving a convenience store in Overtown on December 9th. It happened at Northwest 2nd Court and Northwest 17th Street.
Police say Davis was an innocent victim and they believe Durrant was the intended target. Family members have said Davis has two other daughters who are three and six years old.
Miami Police say the suspects fled in an SUV that was either dark green or black. There is a limited description of the suspects.
If you can help Miami Police, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
Callers will remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
