Andrea Ruth Haugh Dies Following Shooting At Ellicott City Home, Daughter Charged In Murder
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- An Ellicott City woman has died after Howard County police say she was shot multiple times by her own daughter.
Police say 32-year-old Samantha Myers is now expected to be charged with first-degree murder, along with assault and firearms violations.
Neighbors like Michael Bermudez describe the community as typically quiet and described the shocking scene that played out in his backyard in the Bethany Manor neighborhood on Thursday, April 22.
"It's kind of like something you see on a tv show," said Michael Bermudez, neighbor. "We just got home from work, sitting in the dining room and I saw a female holding a baby walk up on the outside of my fence, which is very weird because they never do that, then next thing I know I saw a kid hanging over a fence."
Just before 5 p.m. Thursday night, Bermudez said he had never seen his neighbor, Samantha Meyers, acting so strange.
"It kind of was like a blindside throw, it was literally lifted over the fence, the 6 foot fence, and then tossed over and the baby actually landed inside, upside down, inside of an old firepit I have just sitting back there," said Bermudez.
Bermudez, who's also a volunteer firefighter, says he immediately ran out to save the baby and then called 9-1-1.
"I've never seen her behave this way, and her behavior was very erratic, it was very scary," said Bermudez.
Howard County police say when officers arrived on scene in the 2900 block of Bethany Lane, they discovered Myers had shot her 55-year-old mother, Andrea Haugh.
"All we know is that there was some sort of argument or some sort of altercation between the woman and her mother that led to the shooting… but the motive, we're not certain of," said Seth Hoffman, spokesperson for Howard County Police Department.
Investigators say the mother was taken to shock trauma in critical condition and died days later.
Police say there were two children on property when they arrived on scene.
"Police took them to johns Hopkins just for an evaluation just to make sure they were okay, but they were unharmed. They're being taken care of with child protective services," said Hoffman.
Neighbors are left stunned by the news.
"Very unusual for a really quiet tight knit neighborhood," said Mary Ellen Koontz, resident of Bethany Manor.
"Honestly, I feel for the family and their loss…for me it was just I did everything I could do and I know everyone that was there could do everything they could do to help save her," said Bermudez.
Howard County Police say detectives are still investigating what led up to the shooting and a possible motive.