A tragic incident occurred in Delaware when a Maryland hunter, Walter Moorhead, 74, mistook a woman for a deer and fatally shot her. According to state police, the victim, Santos Maria Chilel Soto, 39, was walking with her children when the accident happened.
Moorhead was arrested and charged with manslaughter and other related offenses. The incident took place on a Friday evening in Ellendale, Delaware, as Soto walked through a field with a man and two children. Moorhead was hiding in a camouflaged hunting structure known as a ground blind. He believed he saw a deer and fired his weapon, unfortunately striking Soto.
State troopers arrived promptly and provided emergency medical care. Soto was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Moorhead now faces several felony charges, including manslaughter and possession of a firearm during a felony, alongside three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
There is ongoing investigation into this unfortunate event. Meanwhile, Moorhead was released on a $43,000 cash bond. Soto, who was a mother of five and a cherished aunt, is remembered by her family with sorrow.
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.
This statement from a GoFundMe page reveals the family’s heartache and the financial burden they face. The fundraiser aims to cover funeral costs and transportation of Soto’s body to Guatemala, with approximately $12,000 raised by Monday evening.