Mom shoots 5-year-old son while aiming at neighbor’s loose dog

A family bike ride took a wrong turn at the weekend when a Houston mother shot her 5-year-old son instead of her intended target: a neighbor’s loose dog.

Angelia Mia Vargas, 24, allegedly fired three shots at the wayward canine during a Saturday afternoon cycle with her husband and young child along a north Houston street, ABC13 reported.

None of the bullets struck the dog, but one ricocheted and hit Vargas’s son in the abdomen, according to police.

The boy was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is reportedly in stable condition.

According to neighbors, the family were riding their bikes when the dog, a 6-month-old boxer puppy named Bruno, came running across the street.

The animal’s owner, who has not been identified, said Bruno darted off when he opened his door to check for a visitor.

A Ring doorbell video obtained by ABC13 shows the dog running out as the owner rushes after him. Moments later gunshots ring out, followed by screams from the boy’s parents.

“[Vargas] could have handled it differently. You know, she was there, her husband was there, I was there, nothing would have happened. Nothing bad like that,” Bruno’s owner told the channel.

He said he has had nightmares in which he hears “a little boy crying” since the incident happened.

Vargas has been charged with deadly conduct with a firearm. Bruno’s owner was given a citation for having a loose dog.