ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) — A man accused of shooting an 11-year-old girl in Antioch is now behind bars.
San Francisco jail records show the 23-year-old suspect is in custody. ABC7 News is not identifying him because he hasn’t been formally charged.
Last week, police say he fired shots that hit the girl who was in a nearby car. He has been wanted since that shooting.
Meanwhile, the father of the girl tells ABC7 News reporter Gloria Rodríguez he’s relieved the suspect is in custody but he still fears for the safety of his family.
EXCLUSIVE: Father opens up after 11-year-old girl shot in head in Antioch apartment complex
The father of an 11-year-old girl shot in the head in an Antioch apartment complex Monday said he feels like his heart is being ripped out.
The father, who wants to protect their identity, shared a picture of his 11-year-old daughter at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, where she remains in critical condition. It was taken two days after she was shot in the head in Antioch.
She has bandages on her head and tubes all over her body.
They are hopeful she will return to the vibrant girl she was before a stray bullet struck her.
The father said his daughter is regaining her vision.
“I’m so happy,” he said. “I cried out of sadness. Now, I cry out of happiness.”
Antioch police said the suspect turned himself into the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office Monday. Police had already identified the suspect and were looking for him.
The girl was in a car with her family leaving the Delta View apartments in Antioch heading to the store when she was shot in the head on Jan. 5.
Police say it appears the shooter was trying to hit someone else. They say the family was not targeted.
The father said he wants justice and all applicable charges filed against the suspect.
“What happened to me could have happened to any family, any person not involved with anyone,” he said.
A GoFundme for the family to use for medical bills and to move out of the apartment complex has raised more than $20,000.
The family says they never want to go back to that apartment.
“I thank everybody who helped me without even knowing me,” he said.
The case is expected to be filed with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office later this week.
Antioch police are still asking anyone with info about the shooting to reach out to them at (925) 481-8147.
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