Greeley Teen Sentenced In 2-Year-Old Cousin's Death
GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) - The teenager who admitted to striking and shaking his 2-year-old cousin before he died has been sentenced to spend six years in the youth offender system.
Jesue Cornelio, 18, previously pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse resulting in death. Under the terms of his plea, Cornelio was given a suspended sentence of 18 years in the Department of Corrections, which
is contingent on his successful completion of six years in the youth offender system.
According to police and court records, Cornelio, of Greeley, told investigators that he struck and shook his 2-year-old cousin on March 22 after the toddler tried to grab his cell phone. Cornelio told police he was trying to check his Facebook account.
When police and paramedics arrived at the mobile home park responding to a call of a lifeless 2-year-old child, they were unable to help him. Jose Cornelio-Espinoza was taken to a hospital where doctors found massive bleeding in his brain. They tried to operate but the boy went into cardiac arrest. Although they revived him, he died within a couple of days.
Police records say that Cornelio "violently struck Jose Angel-Cornelio Espinoza in the chest," which then caused him to "fall backwards and hit the back of his head hard."
District Attorney Ken Buck decided to direct-file the charge against Cornelio, who was 17 at the time of the child's death, as an adult. That decision opened up the possibility of placing Cornelio within the youth offender system, which has a proven record of rehabilitating young offenders.
