Man Mistakes Shadow for a Burglar, Kills His Son, 3

A 3-year-old North Hollywood boy was killed today when his father aimed a borrowed handgun at a shadow he thought was that of a burglar who has plagued the family during the last two months, police said.

Victor Manuel Sesmas, just days before his fourth birthday, was pronounced dead on arrival at Serra Memorial Hospital with a bullet wound in the chest, Los Angeles Police Lt. Ron LaRue said. The shooting occurred at 3:45 a.m. in an apartment in the 11800 block of Hart Street, Detective Kevin Harley said.

Manuel Sesmas, 30, and his wife, Nely, 31, shared the bedroom in their one-bedroom apartment with Victor and his 2-year-old sister, LaRue said.

Nely Sesmas was awakened this morning when someone opened and closed the bedroom door, LaRue said. She awakened her husband and said, “Here they come.”

“She thought somebody was breaking into the house,” LaRue said.

Sesmas got out of bed, grabbed a handgun he had borrowed from a relative after a couple of break-ins during the last eight weeks and opened the bedroom door, LaRue said.

He told police he saw a shadow and fired downward to avoid seriously hurting anyone, but the shadow turned out to be that of his son, who had apparently gotten out of bed and wandered out of the room.

LaRue said police reports were not taken after the earlier burglaries but said “that’s not unusual.” The family told police that money was taken during the break-ins.

The gun used by Sesmas was registered to the relative, LaRue said.