NEW YORK, March 18 (UPI) -- A New York man was convicted of manslaughter Tuesday for killing his 7-year-old stepdaughter.
Cesar Rodriguez, who was acquitted of second-degree murder, faces a sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison, the New York Daily News reported. The jury returned its verdict after four days of deliberations and a two-month trial.
Nixzmary Brown died after months of physical abuse and neglect. She weighed only 36 pounds, and prosecutors said she spent much of her time in a back room of the Brooklyn apartment her mother and Rodriguez shared, forced to use a cat litter box as a toilet.
Rodriguez admitted abusing the little girl, although he tried to justify it by arguing she was badly behaved. He maintained her mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, killed her with a fatal punch.
The death also raised questions about why nothing was done to protect Nixzmary. Social workers visited the home twice to investigate reports of abuse and found no evidence.
Prosecutors argued that both parents should be held responsible for the child's death.
