A 45-year-old Hawthorne man was arrested Thursday and charged with aggravated child abuse and other charges after he was accused of shooting his 16-year-old stepdaughter while struggling over a gun.

Putnam County sheriff's deputies said the man and the teenager were in a physical alterncation which ended when the man pulled a .22-caliber handgun. When the girl tried to grab the gun, it went off in her hand.

The victim's mother informed deputies that the man fled from the residence and was possibly hiding somewhere on the property.

Deputies with the assistance of a K-9 team located the man nearby and placed him under arrest. He was booked into the Putnam County jail on charges of aggravated child abuse, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and discharging a firearm while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.

The man's name was not released to protect the identity of the victim.

The 16-year-old was treated and released.