THE BRONX (PIX11) – A baby girl is spending her first birthday in the hospital after she was shot by a stray bullet in the Bronx earlier this week.
Rather than celebrating her birthday with family, she was hospitalized in critical condition after she was shot in her left cheek. A vigil was at the site of the incident in honor of the baby Friday.
A GoFundMe page was set up by a woman said to be the child’s aunt to help the family with medical treatment and other medical expenses.
The girl was in a parked car with her mother near Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street when the gunman opened fire nearby, striking the baby, officials said.
Police on Thursday morning described the infant’s condition as “stable.”
The infant’s mother called 911 around 6:50 p.m. and officers arrived within two minutes, an NYPD official said. When police arrived, the mom was holding the child. The girl’s dad was inside a grocery store.
As of Thursday evening, police said the investigation is ongoing. Police do not know the motive that led to the suspect firing at the intended target. They’re offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The suspect is described to be a man with a medium build. He last seen wearing a face mask, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with a white Nike logo on the front, gray sweatpants and black and white sneakers. He fled the scene in a gray four-door sedan.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
