Man gets life term in death
A man convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his 4-year-old stepson was sentenced Monday to spend life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez sentenced Luis Ortega, 26, for the December 2006 slaying of Brandon Tamoria-Lamug.
Ortega entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder in connection with the slaying.
An Alford plea means Ortega doesn't admit wrongdoing but recognizes that there is enough evidence to convict him.
Brandon died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
During a 2007 preliminary hearing, the boy's mother testified that Ortega was watching Brandon on Dec. 12, 2006.
When she returned home, she found Brandon lying on the floor of their residence complaining of stomach pain.
He stopped breathing and was rushed to University Medical Center, where he later died.
A coroner later determined that Brandon had internal bruises and a portion of his small intestines were torn.
