Child dies with gunshot; father jailed

OTHELLO — A 4-year-old Othello boy died after an accidental shooting Saturday, and friends of the family have started a fundraising campaign to help cover medical and funeral expenses.

The boy, Jeremiah, was killed by a gunshot wound to his head. His father, Felipe Tapia-Perez, earlier that day was handling a gun inside a car when it fired, according to a statement of probable cause filed with Adams County Superior Court.

Tapia-Perez, 27, of Othello, is held on $50,000 bail at the Adams County Jail on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter, possession of a stolen firearm and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

No date for a court appearance had been set Tuesday.

The fundraiser, on GoFundMe, has a goal of $15,000 to help the boy’s mother, Perla Arteaga-Ochoa, pay funeral and medical expenses. As of Tuesday, more than $4,000 had been donated.

The boy had a medical condition that required periodic infusion, frequent doctor visits and a number of surgeries, according to Angelica Moreno, who set up the fundraiser.

The boy’s nickname was Miah.

“Miah was a little fighter from day one (and) he never let his medical conditions hold him back,” Moreno wrote. “His short time with us was filled with so much love and hope. He was loved by everyone who had the pleasure to meet him.”

Tapia-Perez told police he had gone to Arteaga-Ochoa’s home to pick up his three children. The statement of probable cause said the boy ran out when he saw Tapia-Perez drive up.

Tapia-Perez told police he had just purchased the handgun, a .22 Colt, and was looking at it when the gun went off. The bullet passed through a window and hit the child in the head, the statement said. Tapia-Perez said he didn’t know the boy was standing outside the car.

Tapia-Perez had never owned a gun, he said, and was unfamiliar with how they work. He was touching a lever on the side of the weapon when it went off. Tapia-Perez told police officers the magazine was loaded but not in the gun.

A search of law enforcement databases determined the gun was stolen in Spokane in late December. Tapia-Perez said he bought the weapon in Moses Lake, from a man who approached his car and asked him if he wanted to buy a gun. He didn’t know the man, Tapia-Perez said.

Othello police detective Jaime Mendoza said he spoke with agents of the U.S. Border Patrol, who said there was no record of Tapia-Perez having legally entered the country. Tapia-Perez told police he had come to the United States at five years of age and is not a U.S. citizen.

The fundraiser can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/2ao3fgdh6o?qid=effd27eb6f71f8c7c7412d0f51e62496.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.