Man arrested in shooting death of baby in Palm Coast, deputies say
Uncle accused of killing 18-month-old niece
A man was arrested for the tragic shooting death of an 18-month-old back in September, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a press conference. Detectives determined that 21-year-old CJ Nelson Jr., who was taken into custody on the day of the shooting, was reportedly impaired when he fired the gun.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A man was arrested for the tragic shooting death of an 18-month-old back in September, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a press conference.
Detectives determined that 21-year-old CJ Nelson Jr., who was taken into custody on the day of the shooting, was reportedly impaired when he fired the gun.
The child's mother was playing with her baby, Ja’liyah Allen, in the hallway of the home when a shot was fired that went through a bedroom wall and struck the baby in the head, Sheriff Staly said.
When deputies arrived at the home, they found several people in the front yard with one person holding the 18-month-old baby.
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When inside the home, deputies found a trail of blood in the home and noticed the shower was running. They also observed other people inside the home in multiple bedrooms "moving about," Sheriff Staly said.
Detectives also found illegal narcotics inside the home along with a gun.
Detectives found Nelson's fingerprints on the gun and also saw social media pictures of him holding the gun.
Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Staly said the investigation was difficult because all the witnesses gave conflicting statements as to what happened. Detectives believed people inside the home were attempting to move and destroy evidence.
Nelson was charged with manslaughter with a firearm.