Hunter charged with manslaughter in shooting of woman he mistook for a deer: Police
A 74-year-old hunter has been arrested and charged in a homicide investigation in which police allege he fatally shot a woman in Delaware whom he allegedly mistook for a deer.
Walter Moorhead of Salisbury, Maryland, was charged with manslaughter and related crimes after allegedly shooting the woman while hunting Friday evening in a field near Ellendale, Delaware, according to the Delaware State Police.
"The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was walking through the field with a man and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind. Moorhead believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, striking the victim," the Delaware State Police said in a statement.
The victim was identified Sunday as 39-year-old Santos Maria Chilel Soto of Georgetown, Delaware, according to the state police.
The incident unfolded around 7:40 p.m. on Friday, according to the state police, who said troopers who were called to the scene provided lifesaving medical care to the victim, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Troopers took Moorhead into custody after a preliminary investigation "determined that he had fired the shot that struck the victim," according to the state police.
In addition to the charge of felony manslaughter, Moorhead is facing three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, as well as a count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, state police said.
Moorhead was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court and released after posting a $43,000 cash bond, according to the state police.
Moorhead did not immediately return a call from ABC News on Sunday seeking comment at a phone number listed for him. It was unclear if he had hired an attorney.
The Delaware State Police said the shooting remains under investigation and asked anyone with information about the incident to call its homicide unit.
