Boy Charged in Shooting of Infant

A 16-year-old Crenshaw area boy was charged Tuesday with two counts of attempted murder in the shooting last Friday of a 9-month-old girl during a fight between rival South-Central Los Angeles gang members.

The youth, whose name is being withheld by authorities, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Compton Juvenile Court on both the attempted murder charges and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. At that time, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Herriford said, a motion will be filed for a fitness hearing to determine whether he should be tried as an adult.

The baby, Helen Hawkins, who had been nestled in the arms of her mother at the time of the shooting, remained in critical condition at UCLA Medical Center.

Authorities say the girl was shot with a .22-caliber pistol at a Crenshaw Boulevard bus stop near 50th Street where the defendant was standing near the baby’s mother, Linda Edwards, 36, and Edwards’ son, Gibron, 14.

Minutes before the shooting, rival gang members driving past in a car had yelled at Gibron Edwards and the defendant, who were dressed in clothing identifying themselves as gang members. The defendant allegedly responded by pulling a gun and pointing it at the car, which quickly returned. When the driver jumped out and began a fistfight with Gibron Edwards, authorities said, the defendant fired several shots, hitting only the little girl.

The defendant was charged with the attempted murder of both the baby and the rival gang member. Because the youth is accused of attempting to kill the gang member, Herriford said, he can be charged, under the theory of “transferred intent,” with the attempted murder of the child he hit.

“It appears as though he was shooting at the other person fighting with his friend in an attempt to get him off,” Herriford said. “There doesn’t appear to be evidence he was shooting at the baby.”

The defendant and Gibron Edwards were caught on a bus. The Edwards youth will not be charged, authorities said.

The defendant, who was taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, could face a maximum prison term of 14 years if convicted as an adult, according to Herriford.