ARELI RUBY ESPINOSA - 11 Weeks - Reno NV

A man who prosecutors say shook his infant daughter so hard that she
suffered massive brain injuries because her cries interrupted his video
game has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.During a
sentencing hearing Wednesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Greco
said Gerardo Espinosa condemned the girl to a life of misery, unable to
see or hear and with limited mobility.District Judge Patrick
Flanagan said he would have sentenced the 19-year-old illegal immigrant
to life in prison if the law allowed.A jury last month convicted
Espinosa of child abuse causing substantial bodily harm. His daughter
was 11 weeks old when she was injured.He told investigators the injuries were from an accidental fall.

During 30 seconds of violent shaking, Gerardo Espinosa condemned his
infant girl to a life of misery, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan
Greco in describing her massive and permanent brain injuries and loss
of vision and hearing.
Baby Areli Rubi is now just a broken shell of a body, he said.



“All
because her crying interrupted his video game,” Greco said. “This poor
baby is doomed to a life which, in some ways, is worse than death. She
will not be able to see, or hear, and she will have limited motor skill
functioning.”And for inflicting “a lifetime of misery on
this innocent child,” Washoe District Judge Patrick Flanagan sentenced
Espinosa to the maximum term of 20 years in prison. Flanagan said if he
could, he would have sentenced the 19-year-old illegal immigrant from
Mexico to a lifetime prison term.“You are not going to be
around to raise your child, and it’s going to fall on every taxpayer in
the state who has to reach into their pocket to pay for your daughter’s
extraordinary medical treatment, special education and assistance.”Flanagan
said his punishment should send a message to the community of the
importance of protecting children. He said until men stop abusing their
children in this horrific manner, the maximum sentence has to be
imposed.Jurors last month took just 20 minutes to convict
Espinosa of child abuse causing substantial bodily harm. His daughter
was 11-weeks old when she was injured. Espinosa declined
to testify, and told investigators the baby’s injuries occurred from an
accidental fall on Oct. 29 when he was baby-sitting.Greco
said that a medical expert who examined the baby following the shaking
determined she had no vision or hearing, and had severely limited brain
function. He said that same doctor examined the girl one week before his
July trial and said her condition had not improved.The
baby’s 20-year-old mother, Araceli Andrade, said through a Spanish
interpreter that her child does see and hear and that she can walk and
crawl with assistance. She said the baby has said a few words. Andrade
claimed the child improves daily and “my baby will never have a life of
misery.”Greco said medical evidence disputes Andrade’s
claims, and that women in these child abuse cases frequently downplay
injuries, or are in simple denial. He said the baby’s injuries were the
worst he has seen in a surviving child.Espinosa asked
Flanagan for a light sentence because he wanted the opportunity to
assist his family with bills. He asked for forgiveness.“I
do feel badly from the bottom of my heart that all this has taken place,”
he said through an interpreter. “I feel bad for my wife and daughter,
because they are who I love the most.”Outside of court,
Greco said the girl’s medical condition is so dire that if she succumbs
to her injuries in the next year, he would charge Espinosa with murder.
He said the double jeopardy standard would not apply. Espinosa is supposed to be deported to Mexico at the completion of his prison term.