Yuma man pleads guilty to killing 21-month-old
Web Producer: Taylor Avey
YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - A Yuma man has pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend's 21-month-old daughter.
The Yuma Sun reports that 29-year-old Victor Noriega pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder in the May 2011 death of Danielle Martinez.
Noriega is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7 and faces between 10 and 22 years in prison.
Authorities found the child not breathing and without a pulse. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The girl's mother wasn't at home at the time.
Police say Noriega was the only person with the girl at the time of the incident.
An investigation revealed that the girl had suffered internal trauma that day, in addition to serious injuries in the past consistent with continuous child abuse.
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