NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The family of a 3-year-old boy who was fatally shot when a gun discharged inside a relative’s Central City home says they are upset with the punishment a judge gave the gun’s owner.
Rudy Ratliff died in November 2024 as family members were playing the card game Uno. His mother said Rudy was walking behind them when she heard a gunshot and realized her son had been struck. He died shortly afterward.
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Tatisha Refuge was arrested after investigators determined the gun belonged to her. Police say she allegedly tampered with the crime scene and fled the home.
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The district attorney’s office said Refuge pleaded guilty Wednesday to manslaughter. Prosecutors sought a 40-year sentence, but the judge sentenced her to five years in prison.
Refuge still faces a drug charge after officers found fentanyl in her home…