Chula Vista Girl Shot by Playmate Is on Mend

A toddler who was accidentally shot in the head by a 5-year-old playmate on Thanksgiving Day is making a strong recovery and may be released from Children’s Hospital as early as Wednesday, a hospital spokesman said Saturday.

“She’s doing very well,” said spokesman Jim Boylan about the 2-year-old patient, Mary Ann Burns. “Her condition has been upgraded from fair to good, and she was taken out of intensive care on Friday.

“If she continues to improve like this, she might be able to go home as early as Wednesday.”

Mary Ann spent Friday afternoon in Children’s hospital like any typical child: She watched cartoons and ate a Popsicle.

“She doesn’t have the strength to move the Popsicle up to her mouth,” said Mary Ann’s father, Jim Burns. “So we help her out a little.” Burns and his former wife, Bertha, have been at the hospital since Mary Ann underwent surgery last week to remove four bullet fragments lodged in the back of her brain.

Burns said Mary Ann wants to go home and “recognizes both of us.”

Though Mary Ann is making good progress, it is still unknown whether she will suffer extensive brain damage.

“At this point it’s just to early to say whether she’ll suffer long term damage,” Boylan said. “But I talked to her neurosurgeon, and he’s cautiously optimistic about the chances for a good recovery.”

Meanwhile, Thomas and Erma Molina of Chula Vista, parents of the youngster who fired the gun, pleaded innocent Friday to a child endangerment charge and were released by the judge after promising to appear for a Jan. 30 preliminary hearing.

The Molinas were arrested last week after a police investigation showed strong suspicion that the couple were neglecting their five children, who range in age from 2 to 12, Chula Vista police said. Their children have been placed in the Hillcrest Receiving Home.

Thomas Molina also was charged with obliterating the serial number on the weapon. If convicted, they each could be sentenced to six years in state prison.