An out-of-state correctional officer pleaded guilty under a conditional discharge agreement in connection with the death of his five-year-old son, who died from a fatal gunshot wound in Carolina Beach this August.
Alejandro Arias, 29, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child abuse and failure to secure a firearm to protect a minor in New Hanover County court on Tuesday afternoon. The charges carry a maximum combined sentence of 270 days in prison.
The plea follows an incident on Aug. 10 at Waterview Condos on 305 S. Park Lake Blvd. Officers arrived on scene shortly after 6:19 p.m. The 911 call audio previously detailed the incident as an accidental discharge of a firearm.
Prior coverage: 911 caller: ‘Accidental discharge’ of a firearm led to child’s death in Carolina Beach
On Aug. 10, 2024, police responded to 305 S. Lake Park Blvd. in Carolina Beach and located one juvenile victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim died in the hospital as a result of their injuries.
According to the state’s factual summary, officers with the Carolina Beach Police Department arrived at the condominium complex for report of a five-year-old being shot.
Arias had driven his family from New Jersey, where he resides, to Carolina Beach for vacation. While the family was unpacking, an unlocked fabric bag with a zippered closure containing a firearm was left in a downstairs bedroom where Arias’ son was watching television.
The five-year-old gained access to the firearm and suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
Judge Ricardo Jensen accepted the plea with conditional discharge on behalf of the court on Tuesday, ordering the firearm involved in the incident be seized and destroyed by the Carolina Beach Police Department.
Arias was sentenced to 24 months unsupervised probation, with additional provisions to return an iPhone seized during the investigation and a requirement to remain free of any charges during that two-year period.
Arias will be allowed to possess a firearm in his official capacity as a corrections officer in New Jersey. No firearms are present within the defendant’s household and the firearm used for his job will be stored at the jail where he is employed.
As part of the plea agreement, Arias has also participated in a public service announcement about firearm safety with other local law enforcement officials.
Prior Coverage: New Hanover DA’s Office: Juvenile death in Carolina Beach result of gunshot wound
Arias’ attorney, Brenden Kennedy, said that moment was “extremely difficult” for the defendant to relive as part of the public service announcement.
Kennedy also said that Arias attends therapy twice a week and plans to continue doing so. He highlighted that Arias’s fiancé and six-year-old child are also suffering from the loss.
The state said that the agreement was reached based on discussions with law enforcement, Arias’s lack of criminal history, his compliance with the District Attorney’s Office, and a thorough review of evidence and discovery.
Judge Jensen thanked the state for their diligence, noting that “this is not an easy solution for anybody in this type of case.”
Arias is required to return to the New Hanover County Courthouse on Dec. 9, 2026.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Officer pleads guilty in death of 5-year-old son in Carolina Beach, NC