Cop Puts Loaded Gun In 8-Year-Old's Backpack: DA

FULLERTON, CA — An Ontario man was arraigned Thursday for sticking a loaded weapon into the backpack belonging to an 8-year-old child, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.

The OCDA's office formally accused Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Manuel Murillo, 37, of placing the gun inside the backpack on April 11 and endangering the 8-year-old.

According to the complaint filed by the OCDA, Murillo "knew and reasonably should have known that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm" from being left in that location.

He then drove the child for a drop off with the child's caretaker, leaving the backpack and the child behind, an OCDA spokesperson said.

The gun, which was Murillo's loaded duty weapon, was discovered by the caretaker, who then called the Fullerton police almost a half hour after Murillo left the child behind.

It is not known as to the circumstances of how the caretaker discovered the weapon.

Fullerton police investigated the case. He was charged on June 6 with misdemeanor counts of Child Endangerment by a Caretaker, 2nd Degree Criminal Storage of Firearm and 3rd Degree Criminal Storage of a Firearm.

If Murillo receives maximum penalties, he could serve one year in county jail.

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