Child, 2-years, Dies After being Shot in the Head

A two-year-old Ocoee child, after being hit in the head when a firearm discharged, died today at the Arnold Palmer Hospital.

Kaylen Torres, 2 years, of Ocoee, was hospitalized on Monday, with a gunshot wound to the head, but died on Tuesday afternoon from her injuries, police said.   Her mother and father were at her side when she died around 12:30 p.m., police also said.

21-year-old Christian Galarza-Rodriguez, Kaylen’s cousin, told investigators he was moving a firearm which was located on his dresser, when it accidentally discharged, traveled through the wall and struck the child in the head.  Kaylen was playing with two of her relatives, also children, in the room next to where the firearm went off around 3:00 p.m.

Police said, Galarza-Rodriguez assisted Kaylen’s mother in taking her to the Health Central Hospital and remained there to speak with investigators.

Galarza-Rodriguez was placed under arrest on an unrelated charge as he had provided police with a false name. During the investigation, he had identified himself as Luis Farias, 20 years, but police said, during the investigation, there was identification showing him to be Christian Galarza-Rodriguez.

Charges related to the shooting incident are pending, based on the final results of the police investigation.