A 15-year-old boy wounded by a gunshot early Sunday near a Cerrillos Road fast-food restaurant is expected to survive, Santa Fe police said.
In a news release issued Sunday, Deputy Chief Ben Valdez said the victim, who was not identified, was badly hurt in the shooting and was transported to area hospitals in the aftermath. But by Sunday afternoon, the boy’s condition had improved to stable and is expected to survive the injury.
Another teenager, 16-year-old Daniel Vargas of Santa Fe, was taken into custody in connection with the incident and charged with negligent use of a firearm, unlawful possession of a handgun by a person under 19 and tampering with evidence, Valdez said.
While investigating the incident, detectives conducted interviews with four other teenagers, who transported the victim to the hospital Sunday morning.
Those interviews revealed the victim was driving a car full of teens, with Vargas seated behind him in the backseat. At the McDonald’s on the corner of Cerrillos Road and Richards Avenue, Vargas was “playing” with a firearm, which he said he received from another teen from La Cienega, Valdez said.
The gun discharged, striking the victim.
Vargas then moved to the driver’s seat of the vehicle and drove to Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center, Valdez said.
Vargas’ parents were present while he was interviewed by detectives, Valdez said. The teen will be transported to the San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center.
The victim was in critical condition when officers arrived around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning. He initially was transported to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, then sent to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque to receive further care.
