A Texas man who has been accused of killing his girlfriend and leaving their 7-month-old baby at home alone says the whole thing was an accident, KTRK-TV reports.

Jasper Davis, 28, was charged Friday with the murder of 24-year-old Jennifer Nicole Mamo.

Investigators believe Davis fatally shot Mamo in the face in their house after the pair got into a fight at a party celebrating the man’s 28th birthday, KPRC-TV reports.

Davis allegedly put Mamo’s body in his car and then dumped it near a creek in northern Harris County near Houston.

His car then got stuck in the mud and he had to call for help. He first contacted a friend, but when the person arrived and saw the body, he or she declined to help and instead contacted authorities, police say.

Davis then asked his dad for help. Investigators reportedly believe the father did not see Mamo’s body.

As Davis was returning to his home Friday morning, he saw police and fled the area.

Officers were requested to conduct a welfare check on the home. They forced themselves inside and discovered a 7-month-old child.

“You have a child here that’s obviously going to grow up without a mother. It’s always a shame especially around this time of year,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told KTRK-TV.

In court on Friday, prosecutors revealed that the spat started when Mamo accused Davis of flirting with another woman.

Davis claims Mamo grabbed his gun during the fight and that it went off when he tried to take it away from her.

KTRK-TV reports that police suspect the baby was in the same room at the home where Mamo was killed; the child was not injured and is now in the custody of child protective services, according to KPRC-TV.

Feature image: Harris County Sheriff’s Office/Jasper Davis