Mt. Washington man pleads guilty to gun charge tied to toddler who shot herself

A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a handgun that was found by a 3-year-old girl who died after shooting herself in the chest in the city’s Mt. Washington neighborhood, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Paul Anthony Parrish, 43, also known as Paul Carmona and nicknamed “Pills,” was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in connection to the March 12, 2017 death of Yasha Ross of Coraopolis.

The young girl and her mother had been visiting Parrish’s Mt. Washington home on Southern Avenue on March 12, 2017.

About 1 p.m. that day, Yasha’s mother came running out of the house holding her wounded daughter in her arms and got a ride to Allegheny General Hospital, police said.

The child was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later.

Neither the mother nor Parrish called 911, prosecutors said.

Pittsburgh police headed to Parrish’s home to investigate. Inside, they found Parrish sitting on a couch watching TV. Parrish showed officers to his home’s second floor, where they found blood stains and a Ruger SR-9 pistol.

Police confiscated the gun and issued an arrest warrant for Parrish, who turned himself in to police five days later.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala initially filed firearms charges against Parrish.

“Once he was indicted federally, we withdrew the state charges,” District Attorney’s Office spokesman Mike Manko said Friday.

No one else was charged in the case. Manko declined to comment on whether the DA considered filing any other charges in connection to the child’s death.

Parrish was prohibited from possessing any guns or ammunition because of several prior felony convictions.

In 1996, Parrish pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, court records show. He was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison, although it’s unclear how long he served.

Also in 1996, Parrish pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, fleeing police and driving without a license or valid inspection. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to firearm and drug violations.

In 2012, he filed a lawsuit against Pittsburgh police, alleging officers dragged him through his car window and assaulted him following a high-speed chase through the North Side and onto the McKees Rocks Bridge. The city eventually settled for $40,000.

Parrish previously has lived in the South Hills, court records show.

His conviction carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 13.