A Florida man is behind bars after shooting his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach while she slept, Sunshine State law enforcement say.

Eric Patterson, 44, stands accused of one count each of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on a pregnant female, tampering with physical evidence, being a felon in possession of a firearm, shooting at within or into a building, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, as well as two counts of child neglect, authorities say.

The underlying incident occurred during the early morning hours of Nov. 22, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Minutes before 5:20 a.m., sheriff's deputies were notified that a pregnant woman suffering a gunshot wound to her abdomen had been dropped off at the emergency room of a regional hospit

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