Gustine dad cuts plea deal in infant’s death, avoiding potential life sentence

Andrew Sanchez, the Gustine father found not guilty earlier this year of killing his 9-month-old son, accepted a plea deal on Tuesday that will set him free from jail in January, avoiding a second trial that could’ve landed him in prison for life.

Sanchez pleaded no contest to felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing great bodily injury.

Part of Sanchez’s plea deal postponed sentencing until Jan. 18, 2018, where he will be sentenced to five years at half time credit and also credit for his time served at the same time, providing for his release that same day.

“This sends him home to his family, which has been his goal for a very long time,” said Stephanie Jamieson, the deputy public defender who represented Sanchez. “This is sometimes the dark side of our criminal justice system where a person enters a plea to felony charges when no crime was committed and is kept from their family.”

Sanchez was facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted in his second trial, Jamieson said.

In April, a jury found Sanchez not guilty of murdering his son, Maddix Ramsour, and a mistrial was declared for lesser charges of manslaughter and assault on a child.

“Our office believed he murdered the child,” said Harold Nutt, chief deputy district attorney for Merced County. “It was disappointing to us that a jury did not think that was the case, but we accept the jury’s decision.”

Nutt said by taking the plea deal, Sanchez accepted responsibility for what happened to Maddix.

“This brings closure to the family and puts the issue to rest,” he said.

The prosecution argued that Sanchez, who they said never wanted to be a father, reacted out of anger or frustration and slammed the baby. Expert witnesses for the prosecution said brain bleeding, vein tears and other injuries were too great to have come from a fall.

Sanchez has maintained his innocence since Merced County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him the summer of 2015. Sanchez told investigators that his son rolled off a 2-foot-tall bed and suffered the fatal injuries. The baby died at Valley Children’s Hospital after undergoing brain surgery.

During the trial earlier this year, the defense called experts, who said the baby could have died from untreated injuries from previous falls. Maddix had fallen on three other occasions but appeared fine, the baby’s mother testified.

Sanchez will remain in John Latorraca Correctional Facility until his release.

This story was originally published August 8, 2017 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Gustine dad cuts plea deal in infant’s death, avoiding potential life sentence."