ShareThisBy RICK DEL VECCHIO
San Francisco Chronicle
Monday, May 14, 2007
The family of a 4-year-old boy who police say fatally shot his father in their Vallejo, Calif., home over the weekend declined to speak publicly, but a neighbor called him a sweetheart.
Darlene Miranda said the boy often played in the front yard while his parents sat on the front steps. His blond hair was usually tied in a long braid, and he once hugged her when she walked past his home.
"A little sweetheart," she said.
No one answered the door of the neat gray bungalow where the victim, 32-year-old Brian Sparks, and his wife, Carol Sparks, lived with their son. An American flag hung in the front window, and yellow police tape could be seen in a trashcan at the curb in front of the home.
Family members outside told reporters to leave. And Vallejo Police Sgt. Kenny Park later said the victim's father, who also lives in Vallejo, was not ready to talk about the tragedy.
"He might be willing to talk in a couple of days, but right now he's upset and wants to be left alone," said Park, who said investigators were not releasing any additional information about the case.
The Vallejo Times-Herald described Brian Sparks as an electrician on disability leave because of a work-related injury. Both that paper and KTVU news quoted a neighbor saying that Brian Sparks collected guns.
Carol Sparks reported the shooting Saturday afternoon, calling it accidental and identifying the boy as responsible, police said.
There has been no determination of responsibility for the tragedy, according to a Vallejo Police Department announcement. Police said the boy and his mother were cooperating with investigators.
Neighbor Bruce Branco said he met the boy's mother when the two worked together at a hardware store.
"To me, they were nice people," he said. "I didn't see anything wrong. This is kind of tragic.
"I'm still wondering why that baby went after that gun. A 4-year-old doesn't have much of a mind yet. How does he learn to use a gun like that?"
(E-mail Rick Del Vecchio at rdelvecchio@sfchronicle.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
