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Florida man accused of shooting family sleeping in car, pregnant mother shot

(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLA) — A Florida man was arrested and faces 6 felony charges after being accused of shooting a homeless family sleeping in their car, sending a pregnant mother to the hospital after getting struck in the head.

Surveillance footage captured Christopher Stamat Jr., 21, patrolling a parking lot area around N. Oregon Ave in his black BMW, according to a police report.

A family of five, consisting of a father, a mother who was nine weeks pregnant, and their three children, were sleeping in their Sedan when Stamat’s BMW approached them at 4:30 a.m., opened fire, and fled away, Tampa authorities said.

“Once the vehicle flees, he realizes his wife is shot,” said Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor Wednesday. “She got shot in the head. By the grace of God, the children did not get hit.”

A bullet struck the pregnant mother in the head, and she sought treatment at a nearby hospital.

Stamat did not give a clear motive for the drive-by shooting, but stated to Tampa police he sensed people were ‘stalking and following him.’

“Our community as a whole can sleep easier tonight knowing the suspect linked to this monstrous, random act of violence is no longer free to prey on innocent people,” Chief O’Connor asserted in a statement. “I cannot thank or commend our detectives enough for working so quickly to identify and arrest this suspect.”

Stamat faces four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, once count of second degree attempted murder, and one count of shooting into a vehicle, according to authorities.