Father of 3-year-old shot in Grays Ferry arrested
U.S. Marshals and Philadelphia police arrested James Weldon, the boy's father, on Friday.
Both the father and mother of a 3-year-old child who was shot in the face last week in Grays Ferry have now been arrested.
U.S. Marshals and Philadelphia police arrested James Weldon, 31, on Friday morning, the Marshals announced in a tweet. He was wanted on firearms violations and endangering the welfare of a child, the tweet said, noting that the 3-year-old injured last Sunday was Weldon’s son.
The boy’s mother, Laylaah Muhammad, 23, was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, unsworn falsifying, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and making false reports.
Following the shooting, Muhammad told police that she saw two men in dark clothing running as she carried her 3-year-old son along the 1500 block of South Taney Street about 5 p.m. Sunday. When she looked down at the child, she noticed he had been shot in the cheek, initial reports from police said.
A stranger who happened to be driving by gave Muhammad and the boy a ride to the nearest fire station. The child was then taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was placed in critical but stable condition.
Police now say that investigators have since uncovered evidence indicating that the shooting happened inside a property on the 1500 block of South Taney Street, and not on the street.