A Maryland hunter allegedly fatally shot a woman after mistaking her for a deer as she crossed a Delaware field with her children, state police said.
Walter Moorhead, 74, was arrested on manslaughter and other charges following the shooting of Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, on Friday evening in Ellendale, Delaware, according to a State Police news release.
Police said Soto was walking through an open field with a man and two children at about 7:40 p.m. At the time, Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind, a camouflaged shelter designed to conceal hunters from wildlife.
Walter Moorhead, 74, faces manslaughter and other charges. (Delaware State Police)
Moorhead told investigators he believed he had spotted a deer before firing his rifle, striking Soto, authorities said.
State troopers arrived and administered emergency medical treatment. Soto was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Moorhead faces multiple felony charges, including manslaughter for recklessly causing another person’s death, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
Santos Maria Chilel Soto was remembered as a mother of five and a “beloved” aunt. (Iglesia De Dios Fuente De Verdad Delaware)
He was released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
A GoFundMe page described Soto as a mother of five children and a “beloved” aunt.
“Maria’s family is now facing the overwhelming pain of this sudden loss while also trying to make sure she is laid to rest with dignity,” the fundraiser states. “This heartbreaking situation has placed a heavy financial burden on the family at a time when they are grieving deeply.”
Authorities said Walter Moorhead mistakenly thought he saw a deer before firing his rifle. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The fundraiser is intended to help pay for funeral arrangements and transport Soto’s body to Guatemala. About $12,000 had been collected by Monday evening.
