Mario Maisonet said he fired a shot during an argument over his girlfriend's son's in Palmer Township.
Mario MaisonetA Northampton County judge admonished a Nazareth man for resorting to gunfire due to an argument over his girlfriend's son's hermit crab.
Mario Maisonet, 31, of Nazareth, admitted Tuesday he fired a shot in the vicinity of the child, his fiancee's son, in April at Maisonet's home on Easton Road in Palmer Township. The shot also went off in the vicinity of the boy's father, Christian Roman.
Roman dropped off the boy with his mother and Maisonet, and Maisonet didn't want him to bring the pet crab into his home.
Too often disputes are settled with guns rather than words, and this was a very petty reason to fire shots, according to Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden.
"You can't even move without somebody pulling a gun," McFadden said. "This is ridiculous."
Nazareth man shoots car during dispute over crab, cops say
She sentenced Maisonet to six months to a year in Northampton County Prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Maisonet said he thought Roman was reaching for a gun, so he pulled out his gun and fired.
"I thought my life was in jeopardy," Maisonet said.
Maisonet completed two parenting classes since he's been in prison. He said he's been involved in the boy's life since the child was 2. The boy was 10 at the time of the shooting.
"This is no way to behave in front of kids," McFadden said. "None."
Maisonet has no prior criminal record. He said he has learned from the incident to curb any behavior that will keep him out of the child's life.
"Don't do this kind of dumb thing again," McFadden said.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.