On March 15, 2012 at approximately 5:58 p.m., the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a juvenile victim at the Beaufort Hospital Emergency Department with a gunshot would.  Deputies responded and began an investigation. The victim’s injuries were not life threatening.
Information was obtained indicating the incident occurred at the victim’s residence on Ricks Street in Washington. Deputies responded to the scene, spoke to the victim’s father, and conducted a search.  A .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun was recovered during the investigation.  Based on information and evidence collected, it appears that the juvenile found a handgun in his residence and began playing with it.  While playing with the handgun, it discharged sending a bullet through the victim’s hand and into his leg.
As a result, Investigator Jim Adams applied for and obtained a warrant charging Bartolo Castillo Mondragon, age 40, of Ricks Street in Washington, NC with Failure to Store a Firearm to Protect a Minor. On April 24, 2012, Mondragon was arrested by the Patrol Division and taken before Magistrate E. Holmes where he was held in the Beaufort County Detention Center on an $8,000.00 secured bond.
Gun owners are encouraged to secure all firearms in a manner that prevents them from being accessible by a minor.  Children are curious by nature, and a loaded firearm stored in a careless manner can quickly lead to the death of a child or others nearby.