Police: Stray Bullet Hits, Kills Toddler In Irvington
IRVINGTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Authorities say a 15-month-old girl was apparently shot and killed by a stray bullet while she was in her northern New Jersey apartment.
The Essex County prosecutor's office says it happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday while the toddler was with her parents.
Investigators say it appears the bullet entered the family's second-floor apartment on Ellis Street from outside, striking the girl.
The toddler's parents took her to Newark Beth Israel Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Essex County homicide task force is investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made and a motive hasn't been established.
Chief Anthony Ambrose of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said several pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered from the scene.
"There is indication that several shots were fired on the block," Ambrose told WCBS 880.
Ambrose said task force members are combing the block for witnesses or video surveillance that might help identify who fired the shots.
Residents told CBS 2's Dave Carlin street crime and violence are all too common in the neighborhood.
In the neighborhood, Carlin reported there are many boarded-up and abandoned homes, and after dark, neighbors say they make an effort to stay inside.
"It's getting worse every day," neighbor Chris Johnson said. "This happened in the daytime, in broad daylight."
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
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