HOUSTON -- A 16-year-old boy was charged with shooting his father in their Harris County, Texas, home Friday.
The shooting was originally reported as a case of domestic abuse, but deputies said the boy apparently witnessed a sexual act between his parents and thought the father was abusing the mother.
Sheriff's deputies charged the boy with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony.
Detectives said the mother and father were engaged in consensual sex when the shooting occurred at about 3:30 a.m. inside the family's home. Investigators said the couple's 11-year-old son woke up to his mother making loud noises.
"During the course of love making, the wife was evidently being somewhat loud … loud enough to where it woke the children up," Harris County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mike Smith said.
The boy woke his brother, who then walked into his parent's bedroom and told his father, 43-year-old Jacob Hughes, to leave his mother alone. Officials said that is when the teen shot his father in the arm.
Detectives originally said that the son said he fired the gun as a way of defending his mother during an argument he thought she was having with his father.
"The children interpreted the noise as their mother being in danger," Smith said. "The 11-year-old went into the room, forcibly went into the room, to protect his mother. (The child) observed his parents making love and got the 16-year-old. The 16-year-old came back in and fired the shot."
After investigating previous problems at the home, officials said there have been previous reports of abuse in the family and that father had been charged and convicted of domestic violence. Officials said the children feared their mother was being hurt due to their father's previous convictions for abuse and that is the reason the oldest son shot his father.
Authorities said they have not determined whether the mother was screaming for help.
"That is a very important question. I can see why you are asking that. We are trying to work that out right now. We are trying to decide if it was a passionate scream or was it a cry for help," Smith said.
Hughes was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. He was released late Friday morning.
Officials said the couple has been married for 20 years.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sgt: Kids Interpret Mother's Noise During Sex As Cry for Help
