Coroner: LR woman shot by lover in 'accident' declared brain-dead

Shooter's charge upgraded to murder, police say

Authorities say a Little Rock man who admitted to shooting his girlfriend in a purported accident Sunday is now charged with first-degree murder after the woman was declared brain-dead Wednesday morning.

Lemen Arana, 24, of Little Rock was declared brain-dead shortly before noon, Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs said. Arana has been on life support at UAMS Medical Center since she suffered a gunshot wound in the head early Sunday morning.

Little Rock Police Department Lt. Sidney Allen had said in an email Wednesday afternoon that Arana died at 11:49 a.m., but Hobbs said that was the time she was declared brain-dead by hospital officials. Hobbs indicated that Arana would remain on life support until her organs could be harvested.

Police responded around 3 a.m. Sunday to an "unknown trouble" call at 8485 Stanton Road, where 25-year-old Juan Montalba of Little Rock was found "acting hysterical and screaming" as he ran at the officers' car, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

Montalba, who was Arana's boyfriend, initially told officers that two Hispanic men shot her. However, in an interview with investigators, Montalba later admitted “he accidentally shot [Arana] when he began poking her with a pistol,” police reports state.

Montalba, who had no prior criminal record, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting. He is being held in the Pulaski County jail without bail.

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http://www.arkansas…">Police say man admits shooting lover in accident (By Spencer Willems)

Correction: A previous version of this story stated Arana had died at 11:49 a.m., and that her first name is Lewen. That information was based on erroneous information provided by the Little Rock Police Department and has been corrected in the story above.

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