Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that Christopher Jimenez (age 30), of Providence, RI, was sentenced to life plus 15 years for the 2012 murder of his infant daughter Christina. Jimenez was found guilty of second degree murder and first degree child abuse in October 2016 after an eight-day, jury-waived trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel.
During the trial, the State proved that Christina (05/10/2012) was just over one month old when she was brought by her parents, Christopher Jimenez and Mayra Gonzalez, to Hasbro Children's Hospital on June 20, 2012. Physicians diagnosed Christina as being in full cardiac arrest and suffering swelling and bleeding of her brain. Physicians found multiple old fractures to the infant's ribs that were already beginning to heal. Unresponsive, Christina was put on life support until she succumbed to her injuries on July 7, 2012, days before she would have turned two months old.
The Hospital contacted the Providence Police and the Department of Children, Youth, & Family Services to report possible child abuse. When questioned by the police, Jimenez gave multiple accounts as to what could have caused the child's injuries, including but not limiting to accidentally dropping the baby and sitting on the infant.
During the trial, Dr. Christine Barron, a child abuse specialist at Hasbro Children's Hospital, testified that Christina suffered her first broken bone within her first two weeks of life, and in total suffered 47 injuries, including 28 rib fractures, two broken femurs, and four skull fractures, as well as retinal detachments, and a subdural hematoma. Dr. Barron also testified that the injuries were consistent with child abuse, and not by an accidental fall or simple fall as her father claimed.
"The death of a child at the hands of a parent is one of the most enraging and heartbreaking crimes to investigate and prosecute. There is no reason, excuse, or justification for anyone, but especially a parent, to harm a child. Based on the medical testimony presented at trial, Christina suffered from almost the first day she was born. It is almost too much to bear the thought of her pain she endured. We owe a great deal of praise and gratitude to the police, medical personnel, and prosecutors who spoke for Christina throughout the investigation and trial," said Attorney General Kilmartin.
Providence Police Detectives (ret). Nancy Santopadre and (ret). Dennis LeBlanc led the investigation for the Providence Police. Special Assistant Attorneys General Ania Zielinski and Alison DeCosta prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.