Local News in Brief : Man Held in Shooting of Son, 2 1/2, Himself

A Pacoima man who shot his 2 1/2-year-old son in the stomach Sunday night, then shot himself was being held Monday at County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, Los Angeles police said.

The man, Antonio Ruelas, 21, shot his son, Eric, after a dispute with his 17-year-old common-law wife, which began in the 13000 block of Vaughn Street and continued onto nearby Phillippi Street, Sgt. Robert Ontiveros said.

The boy was taken by helicopter to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles and was listed in fair condition in the intensive-care unit Monday after undergoing colon surgery, hospital spokeswoman Susan Reeder said.

Ruelas was first treated at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, then transferred to County-USC Medical Center on Monday before being booked by police, authorities said.

Police said that, after arguing with his common-law wife, Ruelas shot at her several times and missed. He then grabbed Eric in his left arm, holding his gun in his right, and ran down the street with the child, Ontiveros said. But Ruelas was confronted there by police, who had heard the shots, he said.

When police ordered him to drop his gun and release the child, Ruelas “shouted obscenities and fired a round into the child’s belly,” Ontiveros said.

One of the bullets passed through the boy’s stomach and wounded Ruelas in the arm, Ontiveros said. As he doubled over with pain, Ruelas accidentally fired another round into his groin and thigh, Ontiveros said.

Ruelas then released the weapon and his son, and was handcuffed by officers, police said.

Police do not know what the couple was arguing about.