Father, Friend Charged After Toddler Shot In NE Dade Home
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A father of a toddler who was shot in a home in northeast Miami-Dade Thursday night has been charged along with his friend.
The shooting happened in a neighborhood near Ives Dairy Road and I-95.
A neighbor called 911 after seeing a man frantically get into a car with a young boy and drive off. The caller said the man was yelling something about a shooting.
At the same time, police say they got a call from Aventura Hospital about a two-year-old child who had arrived with a gunshot wound to his upper torso.
At the hospital, the boy's father, 22-year-old Caleb Myles, reportedly told the police his son was injured in a drive-by shooting.
The child was then transferred to Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital where he was listed as stable.
Late Thursday night, Miami-Dade police determined that story given by Myles was not true.
"The initial investigation has revealed that this was not a drive-by shooting but this shooting occurred somewhere inside of the residence," said Det. Chris Thomas.
During questioning, Myles reportedly told police he was home with his son and a friend, 22-year-old Donte Young-Sang.
He told police that "several firearms were present at the residence, unsecured, while the victim was present," according to his arrest report.
Myles said he left his son alone when he went outside to take out the garbage. That's when he heard a gunshot. When he ran back inside, he found Young-Sang coming out of the bedroom with the boy in his arms. The child had been shot in the abdomen.
Both Myles and Young-Sang were arrested. They're facing a number of charges including child abuse, child neglect with great bodily harm, and culpable negligence for leaving a firearm within easy access of a minor.
The grandmother of the two-year-old boy told CBS4's Peter D'Oench the child is going to be OK and his mother is with him here at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
The judge, in this case, had some strong words for the father of the child.
"Sir, I am ordering you to have no contact with the child, either direct or in person, in writing or by telephone, through 3rd parties...No contact," said Judge Mindy Glazer.
Glazer told Myles she wants him nowhere near his 2-year-old son.
"You must stay over 500 feet away from him...Victim's home...."
Initially, the father reportedly told police his son was wounded in a drive-by.
But they said that was not correct and they charged him with filing a false police report.
He and young sang also face a slew of other charges including child abuse, child neglect and culpable negligence for allegedly leaving the gun within easy access of a minor.
Myles has been arrested before domestic violence and was held without bond for violating his probation.
Detective Thomas said this easily could have turned tragic and has a warning —- about children and guns.
"What we want is for adults to be very mindful of where you place your guns. When you have guns make sure they are unloaded and locked up and in a case so when you are buying a firearm and ammunition you are buying a safe to go along with that firearm," said Thomas.
Miami-Dade Police are not saying how the boy was shot.
That's still under investigation.
