ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown man pleaded guilty Tuesday to causing the death of his 3-year-old son, who fatally shot himself with an unattended handgun this year.
Jose Hilario Abreu, 29, admitted to charges of involuntary manslaughter of a child under 12 and endangering the welfare of a child. Both are second-degree felonies.
The charges carry a minimum punishment of 18 to 30 months in prison. Abreu is scheduled for sentencing at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 11 by Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg.
Elijah died from a gunshot wound to the torso, and the death was ruled accidental.Lehigh County Coroner's Office
Abreu also had been charged with violating a duty of care which creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury for a child age 6 and younger.
Authorities said the Lehigh County 911 Communications Center received a call at 11:53 a.m. March 28 from a woman who said her 3-year-old son, Elijah Abreu Borgen, had grabbed a gun and shot himself in the chest.
The boy was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest with life-threatening injuries, and died at the hospital, authorities said.
According to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office, Elijah died from a gunshot wound to the torso, and the death was ruled accidental.
The investigation
Police investigators determined that Abreu had left a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun, unholstered, sitting on a couch pillow in the home where the incident occurred.
According to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan, the gun was easily within reach of Elijah and a 2-year-old, while Abreu sat on the couch with both.
The district attorney said the gun was fully loaded with a live cartridge in the chamber.
Abreu said he had placed the handgun under the sofa on which the toddlers were sitting and left the room.
He said that while he was in another room, he heard a loud bang and returned to find Elijah with a gunshot wound to the chest.
To determine who fired the weapon, investigators performed a gunshot residue test.
Authorities said results found residue on Elijah's hands, which led police to conclude he shot himself with the unattended weapon.
“This is incredibly devastating for people in Allentown and particularly for parents of children in Allentown."Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
The case was investigated by the Allentown Police detectives Joseph Breiner and Harold Bonser, as well as the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office and the Lehigh County Firearm and Toolmark Laboratory.
The arrest of Abreu was conducted in part by Pennsylvania State Police.
Response
In a previous interview, Allentown Major Matt Tuerk expressed his sorrow on behalf of Allentonians.
The case that Lehigh County prosecutors allege against Abreu is “a horrifying story,” he told LehighValleyNews.com in an interview in April, when Abreu was charged.
“This is incredibly devastating for people in Allentown and particularly for parents of children in Allentown,” Tuerk said.
“The compassion that we must extend toward the family is … you can't even think of what it's like to lose a child, particularly in this fashion.”
“If you have a gun in your possession, you need to do everything you can to make sure that it's safely and securely stored,” he added.
Prosecutors include Chief Deputy District Attorney Sara A. Moyer and Senior Deputy District Attorney Sarah Heimbach.
