An East Palo Alto man charged with the murder of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter in 2016 is facing 25 years to life in prison after he was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder and felony child abuse Friday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Though Adair Jeru Enriquez Zevallos, 26, previously pleaded not guilty to murder and assault on a child causing death, a jury found him guilty of two felony counts after eight days of trial, according to prosecutors.
Zevallos was arrested after police were called to an apartment at 320 E. O’Keefe St. in East Palo Alto on Nov. 27, 2016, on reports that a toddler was having trouble breathing.
The girl was taken to Stanford Hospital but pronounced dead there a short time later. Her cause of death was not immediately apparent, but an autopsy revealed she had been beaten to death, prosecutors said.
Zevallos, the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother, has been in custody on no bail facing charges in her death, and will return to court Nov. 7 for sentencing, according to prosecutors.
Zevallos’ defense attorney Scott Sherman, who together with defense attorney Edward Pomeroy is representing Zevallos, said they’re very disappointed in Friday’s outcome and don’t believe prosecutors provided enough evidence to prove their case. Sherman acknowledged the jury didn’t see it that way, and said they plan to appeal the verdict.
“In cases like this where small children die it is sad and it is terrible and it is very easy for people to jump to conclusions and to want to find someone to blame for it,” Sherman said.
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