PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. — A Casa Grande man has been found guilty of attempting to murder his pregnant girlfriend in 2018 by shooting her in the head.
Javier Figueroa, 27, went to trial this week in Pinal County Superior Court for an incident in 2018 that put his girlfriend in a coma with a serious head wound.
The 30-year-old woman was seven months pregnant at the time of the shooting, which forced doctors to deliver her baby prematurely.
The incident happened at a residence in the 5900 block of North Fuchsia Street, where the victim was found in a bedroom with a gunshot wound. The girlfriend's young child was home with her at the time of the shooting.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office said deputies were initially called out to the home for a burglary call before finding the wounded girlfriend. About 20 minutes later, Figueroa came home and deputies noticed spots of blood on him.
Figueroa told police the shooting was an accident but a Pinal County jury was convinced the defendant intentionally tried to harm his girlfriend.
Prosecutors tried to show during the trial that Figueroa attempted to cover up the shooting by concocting multiple stories about a burglar breaking into their home, per the Casa Grande Dispatch.
According to the Pinal County Attorney's Office, the jury convicted Figueroa of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, child abuse, and evidence tampering.
The jury additionally determined Figueroa's actions inflicted serious physical and emotional harm to the victims.
Court records show Figueroa has previously served time in the Arizona Department of Corrections for drugs and weapons charges.
Figueroa is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20.
Editor's Note: The above video is from a broadcast that aired on Sept. 18, 2018.
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