A 28-year-old man in California will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison after killing his 2-month-old baby by inflicting “repeated physical abuse” on the infant until he died from his injuries.
Mathew Garcia was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison on Monday for the brutal killing of young Emiliano Garcia in 2020, according to authorities.
A county jury found Garcia guilty of several charges related to his son’s death earlier this year, including one count each of child abuse resulting in death, child abuse resulting in great bodily harm, and misdemeanor child abuse.
According to a news release from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, Emiliano was born on August 22, 2020, and lived with his mother, father, and two other children in the 2600 block of East Marsh Street. San Joaquin County is in the state’s Central Valley, near Sacramento.
Prosecutors claimed that what should have been “a safe and loving home” for the baby “became a place of harm, leading to the heartbreaking loss of Emiliano’s life.”
Emiliano’s mother noticed a “red spot and a concerning white patch” in the infant’s mouth early on November 10, 2020. She immediately sought medical attention and brought the boy to St. Joseph’s Emergency Room. The doctors diagnosed Emiliano with thrush, a yeast infection of the tongue and mouth.
Emiliano was released that morning and went back home. Later that evening, while being cared for by his father, Emiliano began “exhibiting troubling symptoms” such as fever, irregular breathing, and seizures, according to authorities. He was admitted to UC Davis Medical Center, this time with serious physical injuries.
“These injuries were not accidental,” prosecutors stated in their release. “Evidence revealed that Mr. Garcia, driven by anger and frustration, repeatedly physically abused his child.
He admitted to violently shoving a bottle into Emiliano’s mouth, shaking, and kicking him, as well as throwing him into a bathtub just days before his death. Despite noticing a’mushy spot’ on Emiliano’s head, Mr. Garcia did not seek medical attention or notify Ms. Navarro of the incident.”
Emiliano succumbed to his injuries and died on November 14, 2020. A subsequent autopsy determined that the infant died as a result of homicide, with “severe craniocerebral trauma” caused by “repeated violent assaults.”
“The abuse suffered by Emiliano Garcia is both tragic and unconscionable,” said San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas in a statement released after the sentencing hearing.
“Today’s sentence holds Mathew Garcia fully accountable for the unimaginable harm he caused to his own child.”
Our office remains committed to seeking justice for our community’s most vulnerable members, and we hope that this sentence provides some closure to those who loved Emiliano.”
