Former boxer takes plea deal in baby’s death; Murder charge dropped
HAWAII COUNTY POLICE
Xavier “Pee Wee” Cortez Jr.
HILO >> A former boxer has taken a plea deal in the beating death of an 18-month-old girl, after a murder charge in the death of her mother was dropped.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports Xavier Cortez Jr. pleaded no contest to a first-degree assault charge, avoiding a trial on a second-degree murder charge.
He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Court appointed attorney Keith Shigetomi said his client can ask for probation and time served since his Jan. 28, 2014 arrest.
Deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville said he doesn’t expect a sentence of time served, and that Cortez will be ordered to pay $54,000 in restitution.
Sommer Ferreira was strangled to death shortly after her 18-month-old daughter died in January 2011.
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Uncooperative witnesses led to the plea deal in the toddler’s case and a dismissal with the possibility of refiling in Ferreira’s death.
6 responses to “Former boxer takes plea deal in baby’s death; Murder charge dropped”
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Omg…you kill 2 people and get only 10 years or possible probation?! This idiot should get life, and we wonder why there is so much crime in Hawaii….
10 years for the brutal beating death of an 18-month-old child? This is outrageous.
And he almost certainly strangled the baby’s mother to shut her up, but some a-hole witness doesn’t have the cajones to testify and put this scum away for life.
WTF??????????? And because he is not a privileged swimmer from Stanford and his victim was not a poor drunk girl, this judge will never come under fire for this plea deal. Two deaths and he pretty much gets away with a plea. This is so wrong on many levels.
He faces 10 years for brutally killing an innocent baby. Charges dropped for the strangulation of Sommer Ferreira because the prosecutors are willing to settle and witnesses have no spine to come forward and put this scum away. For people like this, justice will be served IN prison.
Real tough guy to beat an 18 month old. Disgusting to think he could be released from jail in 10 years or less to kill again.