Parents worried after loaded pink gun found along sidewalk in neighborhood

Parents in Wekiva Springs are concerned after a man said he found a loaded pink gun in the grass at Wekiva Hills Park. 

Parents worry children could have mistaken it for a toy.

"It could be my kids. If they were running around, they could find that," Jeanette Quintana, who lives nearby and has two kids, said.

The park is usually full of kids and families, but one man said he found the pink gun while he was on a walk.

"How in the world did it end up in the park? That’s really the question that needs to be answered," Tricia Madden, a neighbor said.

The man who found the gun turned it into authorities.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office eventually tied it to Hector Pino, 22.

Deputies say Pino stole the gun from someone’s car he broke into down the road. He then threw it away to avoid getting caught, officials said. 

"Little ones don’t know what that is or they’ll think it’s a toy and that’s very scary," Quintana said.

Pino is facing several charges.

Authorities said it’s important for parents to talk to kids about guns in case they are ever in a similar situation. 

They said if a child ever finds a gun, he or she should always assume it is real and loaded and immediately contact an adult or law enforcement.

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