A Stockton father was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing his 2-month-old son, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
Matthew Garcia, 29, was sentenced on June 16 by San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Lauren Thomasson.
A jury found Garcia guilty on Feb. 4 of multiple charges, including one felony count of child abuse resulting in death, one felony count of child abuse with a great bodily injury enhancement, and one misdemeanor count of child abuse.
Prosecutors said Garcia’s son, Emiliano, was born on Aug. 22, 2020, and lived with Garcia, his mother Amber Navarro and two other children.
Emiliano was taken to the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Medical Center on Nov. 10, 2020, after Navarro saw a red spot and a white patch in his mouth. He was diagnosed with thrush. Later that evening, while under Garcia’s care, he experienced a fever, irregular breathing and seizures.
The injuries were not accidental, according to prosecutors. They said Garcia repeatedly abused the child while “driven by anger and frustration,” and admitted to shoving a bottle into his son’s mouth, shaking him, kicking him and throwing him into a bathtub.
Despite noticing a “mushy spot” on Emiliano’s head, prosecutors said Garcia never sought medical help or informed Navarro of the incident.
Ultimately, Garcia was arrested by the Stockton Police Department on Nov. 13, 2020, and Emiliano died of his injuries the next day. Medical experts determined the cause of death was severe craniocerebral trauma, the result of repeated violent assaults.
“The abuse suffered by Emiliano Garcia is both tragic and unconscionable,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said. “Today’s sentence holds Matthew Garcia fully accountable for the unimaginable harm he inflicted on his own child. Our office remains committed to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our community, and we hope this sentence brings a measure of closure to those who loved Emiliano.”
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton father sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing 2-month-old son
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
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