A baby sitter who pleaded guilty to child endangerment after a 5-year-old boy fatally shot himself with her gun has been sentenced to 22 months in jail for violating probation.
The Beaumont Enterprise reports Melissa Ringhardt was sentenced this week after having fled the state.
She was caught earlier this month in Russellville, Arkansas, after failing to report to her probation officer in June.
The 20-year-old in February had received four years of probation over last October's death of John Read.
She was watching the boy at his home in Vidor (VY'-dur) when authorities say Ringhardt left her handgun on a table before taking a nap. Ringhardt later told investigators she had been high on marijuana.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
