Every parent runs into the problem: what to do with your wee bairn if you have to run out unexpectedly. So when John Ruiz of Albuquerque needed an emergency tattoo, he did what he had to do. He took his 11-year-old daughter to the neighborhood pool, gave her a loaded .22 for protection and left her there. A neighborhood mom noticed the girl with the gat and called the local 5-0 . . .

Apparently it was just a momentary lapse on Ruiz’s part, though. As he told a reporter, “You guys don’t know about harassment or anything else. We’re good people, I don’t know what to tell you. I made a mistake, that’s it.” He’s been charged with child endangerment and is currently out on bail.

Maybe next time he feels the need for ink, he’ll let her play by the side of an interstate with his shiny new IGOTD trophy. That should entertain her for a while.