What you should know
- A man was charged with murder after killing his newborn baby on Monday when he shot her with an arrow from a crossbow, a portable weapon that shoots both arrows and projectiles, police said.
- The arrow was directed at the mother who was holding the little girl at that time inside a residence in the town of Colesville in New York.
- The suspect was found in the woods, less than a mile from the crime scene, after the truck got stuck in the mud. The uniformed officers used drones and several patrols to find their whereabouts.
NEW YORK – A man was charged with murder after killing his newborn baby Monday when he shot her with an arrow from a crossbow, a portable weapon that fires both arrows and projectiles, police said. The arrow was directed at the mother who was holding the little girl at that time inside a residence in the town of Colesville in New York.
Patrick D. Proefriedt, 26 of Nineveh, New York, was charged with second degree murder, second degree attempted murder, a class felony and first degree criminal contempt for violating a protection order. Proefriedt had a history of domestic incidents with the victim and an active protective restraining order in place.
According to the Broome County Sheriff’s Office report, police officers and an emergency medical services team arrived at the residence located at about 5:14 a.m. Monday. State Route 41 nearly Cass Road after receiving a report that a woman and baby were injured after being shot by an arrow from a crossbow.
The initial investigation showed that Proefriedt had an argument with his wife and shot the arrow at her while she was holding their 3-week-old daughter. The broadheaded arrow struck the baby in the upper torso of her and exited near her armpit before striking the woman in her chest. Proefriedt allegedly removed the deadbolt and tried to stop the woman from calling 9-1-1, then fled the scene in a red Dodge Ram pickup truck before deputies arrived.
The uniformed officers tried to save the life of the little girl, identified as Eleanor M. Carey, while they waited for the paramedics, but the baby did not survive the injury. The mother was transported to Wilson Hospital.
For his part, the suspect was found in the woods, less than a mile from the crime scene, after the truck got stuck in the mud. The uniformed used drones and several patrols to find his whereabouts.
Proefriedt remains in the custody of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office while awaiting an arraignment. The investigation is currently ongoing.
“This is one of the most heartbreaking and senseless crimes committed in this community in recent memory,” Sheriff Fred Akshar said. “Our thoughts are with the family of this innocent 3-week-old girl.”
