Delaware State Police arrested a Maryland man accused of fatally shooting a woman he believed was a deer, officials said.

Walter Moorhead, 74, of Salisbury is facing charges of manslaughter, possession of a firearm during a felony crime and three counts of first-degree reckless endangering after he allegedly shot and killed a woman in Ellendale, Delaware, late Friday, police said in a release.

Authorities were alerted to the incident around 7:40 p.m., with state police responding to an open field near South Old State Road, north of East Robbins Road.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the woman was walking through the field with a man and two children while Moorhead was hunting deer from a ground blind.

Moorhead, according to state police, believed he saw a deer when he fired his rifle.

Police on Sunday identified the 39-year-old woman as Santos Maria Chilel Soto, from Georgetown, Delaware. She was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

State troopers determined that Moorhead “fired the shot that struck the victim,” the release said. Moorhead was taken into custody then released after posting a $43,000 cash bond.

Investigators are asking anyone with information relevant to the case to call 302-741-2729, or the Delaware Crime Stoppers line at 1-800-847-3333. State police also accept private messages sent through their Facebook page.

Source