Pregnant Teen Fatally Shoots Boyfriend Through Book In YouTube Stunt Turned Deadly: Cops
A pregnant Minnesota teen is facing manslaughter charges after cops say she accidentally killed her boyfriend in what has been called a YouTube stunt gone terribly wrong.
Seven months into her pregnancy, 19-year-old Monalisa Perez faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter after allegedly shooting the baby's father, Pedro Ruiz III.
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Perez and Ruiz were making a YouTube video Tuesday night when she accidentally shot him in the chest, the Norman County Sheriff's Office said.
When authorities responded to a 911 call, Perez reportedly told police that Ruiz wanted to make a video of her shooting a book, which he believed would stop the bullet.
Ruiz was found with a single gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene. Police say they recovered a gold Desert Eagle .50 caliber pistol on the grass near the home.
Two cameras that police say were used to record the stunt were taken as evidence. Perez reportedly told police that the shot was taken from about a foot away while Ruiz was holding the book to his chest.
County Attorney James Brue described the book as a hardcover encyclopedia.
In a tweet posted prior to the stunt, a Twitter user matching Perez's name and location told followers: "Me and Pedro are probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever... HIS idea not MINE."
After she was booked on the manslaughter charge, Perez was released on conditional bail.
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In addition to paying $7,000 for her release, Perez must wear a GPS monitor and is forbidden from handling a firearm.
If convicted, Perez is faces either a maximum of more than 10 years in jail, a fine of no more than $20,000 or both.
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