Inset: Alfonzo Luis Marcano-Marcano (Mecklenburg County Jail). The home in North Carolina where Marcano-Marcano’s pregnant wife allegedly shot herself in the stomach (Google Maps).
A 41-year-old North Carolina man accused of firing a gun at the feet of his pregnant wife during an argument was arrested after she “accidentally shot herself” while trying to secure the weapon, killing their unborn child.
Alfonzo Luis Marcano-Marcano was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count of discharging a firearm within city limits in connection with the tragic incident, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Mint Hill Police Department responded to a call around 3 a.m. Sunday from the Novant Mint Hill Medical Center regarding a pregnant woman who had been admitted with a gunshot wound to the stomach. The victim had been dropped off by her husband, later identified as Marcano-Marcano, who then allegedly drove away from the facility in a red Nissan.
Due to the severity of her condition, the medical staff transported the victim to another hospital for more specialized care. However, a short while later, her unborn baby was pronounced dead.
Investigators spoke with the wife at the hospital and learned the couple had hosted a birthday party at their home the night before for Marcano-Marcano. The residence is in the 10000 block of Stornoway Court in Charlotte. The wife allegedly said she had “accidentally shot herself with a pistol” at the party.
In the lobby of the hospital, police detained Marcano-Marcano, who waived his Miranda rights and provided additional details about the incident, per the affidavit.
“He stated once everyone left, it was just him and [his wife] on the back porch,” the affidavit states. “He said there was an argument between them two and he retrieved the pistol and admitted to shooting the ground next to her feet. He said he then placed the pistol on the rail of the back porch, and [his wife] then grabbed the pistol and tried to put it in her pocket and pulled the trigger, shooting herself in the stomach.”
He also allegedly confirmed that he dropped his wife off at the hospital before returning home to retrieve the pistol, saying he “threw it into the woods at an unknown location.”
In a second interview, Marcano-Marcano’s wife allegedly confirmed that her husband shot at her feet.
“She said she went to grab the pistol because Luis had been drinking and did not want him to get in trouble for shooting more and when she grabbed it to put it in her pocket, she pulled the trigger, subsequently killing her month old unborn baby,” the affidavit states.
A judge called Marcano-Marcano “a danger to the public” during a Monday bond hearing and noted that discarding the weapon interfered with the investigation, according to a report from local CBS affiliate WBTV.
Authorities also identified him as a known member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and noted pending warrants in Venezuela, resulting in Marcano-Marcano being held on an ICE detainer.
As of Tuesday, prosecutors had not filed murder or manslaughter-related charges in connection with the death of the fetus.
