Teen hit by stray bullet New Year's Eve

BROWNSVILLE - Police said a stray bullet wounded a teenager on New Year's Eve.

Karla Irata, 15, was carrying a cat around her house at 4898 Paso Doble Circle when family members saw her collapse, police spokesman Lt. Orlando Rodriguez said.

"They noticed a red stain spreading on her leg," Rodriguez said. "The victim said she did feel an impact on her ankle area."

Irata was taken to Valley Regional Medical Center where doctors confirmed she was struck by a bullet on her left ankle.

The police spokesman said the department sees an average of one stray bullet victim per year during the New Year's holiday season. Police are not aware of any stray-bullet fatalities in past years.

Brownsville police officers patrolled the streets on New Year's Eve searching for individuals discharging firearms or using fireworks within city limits. Officers were given discretion in the matter, giving out warnings and citations, as well as confiscating fireworks and firearms. Police seized three firearms, one shotgun and two 9mm handguns, all at separate locations, authorities said.

No arrests were made since two of the firearms were seized from groups of people, making it hard to determine who the shooter had been, police said.

"When they are in a group setting, it's difficult to determine who actually fired the gun," Rodriguez said.

According to police, in the other seizure, police received a call about people firing in the air. Coincidentally, a patrol unit was a block away and arrived as the suspect prepared to fire the gun. Since the suspect didn't fire the gun in front of police, he wasn't arrested; however, the gun was seized.

"Overall this was a relatively quiet New Year's Eve," the police spokesman said. "There weren't any major cases or accidents, unlike in other areas of the Valley where they had various unfortunate cases."

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