NEW YORK CITY — A Queens dad was sentenced to two decades in prison for violently shaking his infant daughter last year for crying, leaving her on life support, officials said.
Isrrael Garcia, 28, admitted to violently shaking his daughter, Maria Gordillo, last year at their home on 41st Avenue, near Warren Street, according to the office of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
"Despite increased efforts by medical and law enforcement personnel to educate the public on the dangers of shaking a baby, we are still seeing far too many cases of children dying or being permanently disabled, both mentally and physically, at the hands of their care givers," Brown said in a statement. "Under no circumstances should a baby be shaken."
Maria was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital unresponsive on May 28, 2012. Tests later revealed that the girl, who was born less than two months earlier, suffered bleeding on the brain and eyes, old and new brain injuries and broken ribs.
Investigators found that the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma and an adult having squeezed the baby's ribcage.
According to the DA's office, Garcia, who was charged with first-degree assault, admitted that he shook the girl in early May when he heard her crying.
He also admitted to shaking the baby for 3 minutes on May 28 when she woke up from a nap and wouldn't to stop crying.
Prosecutors said that Garcia tried to revive the girl and called 911, but the baby suffered permanent injuries. She remains on life support.
