A Norwich man charged in the death of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter has been sentenced to at least 14 years in prison after pleading guilty in July to manslaughter, according to New London Superior Court.
Michael A. Rios, 23, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Thursday, July 17 and has since been sentenced to 20 years in prison suspended after 14 and five years of probation after that, the court said. That means he will likely spend 14 years in prison and be released after that on good behavior and be subject to more prison time if he violates his five years of probation.
His girlfriend's 13-month-old baby, Madison Reid died after sustaining fatal injuries while he was babysitting her. He told police he shook her and then performed CPR after she fell off her bed in May of 2013. Madison's death was ruled a homicide and bleeding was happening on the brain, according to the medical examiner's office.
While Rios' sister and father asked the judge to reduce his sentence, the child's mother, grandmother and step-grandfather asked that he draw the full 14, which they said is insufficient.
Conditions of his probation forbit Rios from having contact with minors or dating anyone who has minor children without receiving permission from parole officers.
She died at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Rios was arrested 48 hours later.
