MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The father of a 2-year-old boy and another man were arrested early Friday morning, hours after the toddler accidentally shot himself inside a home in Miami-Dade County's Ives Estates neighborhood, authorities said.
According to an arrest report, the child's father, Caleb Myles, 22, and another man, Donte Young-Sang, also 22, were watching the boy Thursday night when the incident occurred.
Police said Myles and Young-Sang admitted that several guns were unsecured inside the home in the 1400 block of Northeast 202nd Street when the incident occurred.
Authorities said Myles told officers his son was left alone as he left the house to walk to the garbage can.
Police said Myles heard one gunshot while he was outside and entered the home to find his son and Young-Sang leaving one of the bedrooms.
Myles lifted his son's shirt and saw that he had been shot in the abdomen, police said.
Miami-Dade police Detective Christopher Thomas said the toddler was in stable condition after his father rushed the child to nearby Aventura Hospital and Medical Center.
The toddler was later transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in stable condition.
Authorities stated in the arrest report that Young-Sang was inside the house at the time of the shooting and "should have been aware of the dangerous, abusive and negligent situation that he and (Myles) allowed to occur."
Both men were arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse, child neglect resulting in great bodily harm and culpable negligence by having a firearm with easy access.
Myles faces an additional charge of making a false report of a crime to law enforcement officials because authorities said the incident was initially reported as a drive-by shooting.
Young-Sang and Myles both appeared in court Friday, where Young-Sang's bond was set at $12,500. Myles is being held without bond due to an unrelated case against him.
Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glazer also ordered Myles to stay at least 500 feet away from his son until further notice, which caused the father to break down into tears.
Glazer also orderd Myles to surrender all weapons that he owns to the nearest police department.