“He's always expressed remorse to me. It's hard for him to articulate that in public,” said Michael Idiart, who defended Quiroz.
Baby Roman died from a blow to the head. It happened on a sharp corner of a couch in 2006. Quiroz was 20-years-old, had recently lost his wife, and was also caring for a toddler.
“It's been a difficult case. It was tragic on every level; I can't underscore that enough,” said attorney Michael Frye, of the D.A.’s office.
Leann Kozub of Children's Hospital says abusive head trauma can happen in an instant. It's more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She has a doll to demonstrate how fragile babies are; just a few shakes can cause permanent damage.
“Take a break. Crying isn't going to kill them but shaking them will,” said Kozub.
She says babies crying is what triggers most infant abuse. Parents or caregivers should ask for help when the stress becomes too much to handle. For one family, it's too late. But others can still learn from their mistakes.
“If you don't have any resources, you can call
The maximum penalty was 37 years to life.