An Ocean County man has been charged after accidentally shooting his 13-year-old daughter.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon. At approximately 2:00 p.m., officers from the Stafford Township Police Department responded to Southern Ocean Medical Center following a 911 call reporting a juvenile with a gunshot wound. The victim, a 13-year-old girl, had sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of her torso.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Stafford Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Edgar Baerga, 47, was cleaning his firearm inside his home when the weapon discharged. The bullet struck his daughter, who was then transported by Baerga to the hospital. He contacted law enforcement after arriving at the medical center.
The girl was later transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she remains in stable condition.
Baerga has been charged with Aggravated Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor. He was served with a summons and is expected to appear in Ocean County Superior Court at a later date.