Man acquitted in girl’s injury
A Cumberland Township man who was babysitting three children in May when one of them shot another with a bow and arrow, striking a young girl, was acquitted of child endangerment during a jury trial Thursday.
Randy Dailey, 26, was found not guilty during the two-hour trial because the bow was placed in a locked bedroom and appeared to be out-of-reach from young children, his defense attorney Patrick Fitch said Friday.
“Randy really acted responsibly and the jury understood that,” Fitch said.
Dailey was babysitting his young nephews and 2-year-old niece May 24 at 30 Route 88 Mobile Home Park when one of the boys shot the girl, striking the girl in the head and neck area.
The wound caused a deep gouge and heavy bleeding, and the girl was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., for treatment, and she has since recovered, Cumberland Township police previously said.
Fitch said Dailey kept the bow in a locked bedroom and “high out of reach” from children, but the 6-year-old boy used a butter knife to get inside and was able to grab the weapon.
Dailey told investigators he ordered the boy not to play with the bow and arrow in the house, police said. However, the boy apparently took the weapon into a back bedroom where he was shooting at cardboard box targets and accidentally struck the girl.
Cumberland police originally charged Dailey with three counts of child endangerment June 30, but two of the counts were withdrawn during his preliminary hearing.