Baby shot multiple times at Arizona home; fire breaks out during standoff

SURPRISE, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - A 6-month-old child is in the hospital after being shot multiple times Friday at an Arizona home where fire crews also battled a fire at that home just hours later.

Family members said the baby is doing OK and police said the child was still undergoing surgery for injuries to the “lower extremities,” as of 4:30 p.m. local time

Officers responded around noon to a report that a woman was held hostage by her baby’s father at a home in the area of Cotton Lane and Cactus Road in Surprise. The woman, who escaped, reportedly told officers that she believed her child was in danger after the man broke into the home in the early morning hours and was holding her against her will.

Officers forced their way into the home, and police heard gunshots.

They found the baby, who had been shot multiple times.

Police said they didn’t see or talk to the suspect but rescued the child from inside the house.

However, an officer did fire one round during that initial call.

The child was flown to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, officers confirmed.

The woman suffered only minor injuries, but police did not specify what those injuries were.

Authorities believe the suspect was inside when the fire occurred. They don’t have an update on his condition.

A crew in Arizona’s Family’s news chopper spotted armored SWAT trucks at a home in the area. The home’s garage and windows were destroyed as officers with armed police surrounded the home.

Around 3 p.m., the house caught fire. Video from the scene showed the fire erupting and fully engulfing the home.

“Next thing you know, there was smoke. And after the smoke, there’s a huge ball of fire coming from the back of the house and it just spread from the back all the way to the front,” said Hector Holguin, an Arizona’s Family drone operator, who was on the scene when the fire started. “It just progressed. It collapsed the roof.”

Because the suspect might have still been in the home, firefighters couldn’t get too close to the flames. It also caused a delayed response from fire crews.

“Firefighters don’t wear bulletproof vests. Firefighters don’t have weapons so they are vulnerable in these kinds of situations so it’s imperative that law enforcement stabilize that scene in such a way that it’s safe to address the fire,” said Andy Anderson, a former assistant Phoenix police chief.

Firefighters used two ladder trucks to spray the house with water and water down the house next door to keep the flames from spreading.

By 4:30 p.m., the fire appeared to have been put out, but firefighters were still mopping up hot spots.

The department is asking nearby residents to avoid the area while it was an active scene.

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