Account opened for baby shot in drive-by

Cathy Scott

Monday, March 2, 1998 | 10:20 a.m.

The sergeant who helped save an infant's life after she was shot in the face during a drive-by shooting has set up a bank account in her name.

Metro Police Sgt. Randy Sutton on Friday set up a trust account at Wells Fargo Bank in the baby's name, who has been identified only as "Jackie."

Sutton said the baby girl "has touched my life in a big way."

"She will always be a part of my life. I'll always keep track of her," he said.

Meanwhile, the infant remained in critical but stable condition today, a nursing supervisor at University Medical Center said.

The gunman from Wednesday's shooting has not been identified and remained at large today, Sgt. William Minor said. The man was last seen driving what witnesses told detectives may have been an early model Oldsmobile painted with gray primer. Police said they have ruled out a gang-related motive to the shooting. Also, it may have been a random act of violence, police said.

UMC surgeons closed an open wound on the infant's face from a bullet that went through her cheek, a nursing supervisor said. She was expected to have reconstructive surgery, the supervisor said.

The baby girl was in a child's car seat in the back seat of her parents' car on East Flamingo Road at 6th Street when a car stopped next to them and a gunman inside opened fire. She was hit once in the face.

Sutton, who was patrolling nearby, was the first to arrive on the scene. He said he quickly grabbed the baby out of the back seat and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. A second officer responding to the scene drove Sutton and the baby to UMC, Sutton said.

Sutton called the infant "my new goddaughter."

In 1994, Sutton was given a commendation by Metro for performing CPR on a 5-year-old boy who had been injured during a car accident. The boy survived but was badly brain-damaged, Sutton said.

An account number at Wells Fargo Bank was not yet available.