Superior Court judge cites child’s vulnerability and mother’s lack of remorse
By: Marisa Maldonado
TRENTON Maritza Soto, the East Windsor woman convicted in the beating death of her toddler son in their Grandview Terrace home, has been sentenced to 31 years in prison by a Superior Court judge who cited the child’s vulnerability and his mother’s lack of remorse.
Ms. Soto, 29, will serve 23 years for aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 21-month-old son, Daniel, on June 4, 2003 and eight years for endangering the welfare of a child related to the abuse of Daniel’s twin, Joel. She will serve a seven-year sentence for an endangerment charge related to the abuse of Daniel concurrently.
"I have rarely seen an offense that was sadder or more heinous," Judge Maryann Bielamowicz said at the Dec. 9 sentencing hearing. "Especially at your hands, who gave birth to these beautiful, beautiful boys."
The judge said Ms. Soto knew her behavior could have endangered her sons. Ms. Soto had seen the effects of hitting her children after an October 2001 incident when both twins were taken to a Philadelphia hospital with, among other injuries, nearly identical skull fractures, the judge said. The twins and her other son, Carlos, were removed from her custody for more than a year after that incident.
But Ms. Soto’s brother, Nelson, testified at the sentencing hearing that his sister’s hard work to regain custody of her children she eventually did just several months before Daniel’s death proves that she is a loving mother.
"When the kids were born, she moved out of (Trenton) to give them the education we never had," Mr. Soto said. "If she does leave our family for a long period of time, she will be very much missed."
Defense attorney John Hartmann requested only a five-year sentence for his client. He argued that the jury had decided that Daniel’s death stemmed from CPR improperly performed by Ms. Soto, as the prosecution had been unable to prove that Ms. Soto’s behavior was malicious.
But the judge said Mr. Hartmann was wrong and Ms. Soto has shown no remorse about hurting her children, another contributing factor to her 31-year sentence.
"There was not even one ounce of, ‘I’m so sorry. I miss those babies,’" Judge Bielamowicz said.
Ms. Soto declined to speak on her own behalf and showed no reaction when sentenced.
She must stay in prison for at least 28 years of her sentence and receive five years of parole after she is released. She could have received a maximum of 40 years in prison for the three charges.
Mr. Hartmann has said his client plans to appeal, with representation from another lawyer.
Her common-law husband, 32-year-old Astolfo Sanchez, has been charged with two counts of child endangerment. In October he was placed into a pre-trial intervention program, which can include hospitalization or counseling and can run anywhere from one to three years, according to Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County prosecutor’s office. The court would erase all charges if he successfully completes the program, she said.

