NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk mother has been convicted of contributing to the delinquency of her 6-year-old son after he brought a gun to school, the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Office said Thursday.
On Feb. 16, a first-grader brought a handgun to Little Creek Elementary School. He told one of his classmates that he had it. The classmate then told their teacher who found the gun after searching the child's bookbag and then contacted school security.
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When Norfolk police arrived they cleared the weapon and interviewed the child and his mother, Letty Lopez, 36.
Under Virginia law, the child was too young to be criminally responsible and police charged Lopez with contributing to the delinquency.
The Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney's Office wrote that "witnesses testified at the bench trial on Thursday morning that Ms. Lopez often left her son home alone and that she was known to always possess at least one firearm in her home or on her person."
Lopez denied leaving her son home alone that February morning but said she had recently started a new job and had to leave home earlier than usual, and she could not recall whether she had properly locked the firearm in her bedroom safe.
It remains unclear why the child brought his mother’s gun to school that day or how he was able to retrieve it.
Judge Bruce C. Sams found Ms. Lopez guilty as charged. He sentenced Lopez to 60 days in jail and suspended that sentence on the condition that Lopez complete one year of uniform good behavior and forfeit the revolver for destruction.