TAMPA, Fla. ( WWSB ) - Deputies arrested a man after he allegedly shot his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant, and fled after dropping her off at a hospital.

On Nov. 22, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) detectives arrested 44-year-old Eric Patterson on suspicion of shooting his pregnant girlfriend.

Deputies said the victim arrived at the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Hospital staff said the man who brought her in ran from the scene.

Deputies seize drugs, cash and a firearm from Tampa residence

Investigators said the victim had been asleep in bed with two of her children when Patterson shot her, striking her and her unborn child. She required emergency surgery; the baby was delivered and later airlifted to Tampa General Hospital for specialized

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