'Pray for baby Fayth': 10-month-old girl shot in head after mom rejects suspected gunman at party, police say

A 10-month-old girl is in critical condition after a man who California police say has "no regard for human life" shot her in the head. 

Marcos Antonio Echartea allegedly fired a handgun into a car where the baby, her mother and a male friend were sitting early Sunday, The Fresno Bee reported. 

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer told the Bee that Echartea, 23, has “no regard for human life, even a baby." He is in custody and facing multiple felony charges, including discharging a firearm in a negligent manner and causing injury to a child. 

“I know the parents are broken," Dyer told the Bee. "They are hurting. We held hands at the hospital and prayed for the baby, and we’re asking that everyone in this community come together and pray for baby Fayth for a complete recovery."

Surgeons removed bullet fragments from Fayth Percy's head, Dyer told the Bee, and she remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. 

Police say Echartea shot the baby after her mother, 18-year-old Deziree Menagh, rejected him at a house party in the central California city. The suspect attempted to grab the mother's hand, but she pulled away and told other attendees what happened. She got away when he later tried to get her to sit in his lap. 

The mother and a male friend then left the party with the baby. As the driver parked the car, Dyer said he and the mother noticed Echartea approaching them. 

At that point, Echartea fired three rounds into the driver's side window, striking the baby in the head as her mother held her in the passenger seat, police said. Authorities said they believe Echartea knew the baby was in the vehicle.

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Sunday wasn't Echartea's first alleged shooting, according to police. He fired into a residence last month while his ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend was home, police said.

One of the bullets penetrated the walls, landing about a foot from a 1-year-old baby, Dyer told the Bee.