The Long Island man who pummeled his girlfriend’s toddler to death because the child cried too much pleaded guilty yesterday to the heinous act – and cried himself when recounting the brutal assault.
His voice cracking with tears, Desi Lainez, 27, told a judge in Riverhead he beat Luis Moreira, 2, in the stomach Jan. 11 because the child wouldn’t stop crying.
Later that day, when Luis pulled down the bedroom shades, Lainez also grabbed the child by the arm and threw him to the ground.
“He punched the baby so hard in the stomach he lacerated his bowel, so that Luis eventually bled to death,” said prosecutor Caren Manzello.
“He also twisted the child’s arm, resulting in a spiral fracture.”
In written and videotaped confessions, Lainez said he was suffering from a toothache-induced migraine, which made the toddler’s cries unbearable.
When Luis’ mother eventually brought him to a hospital hours after the beatings, Lainez did not tell doctors about the severity of the blows – leading directly to the child’s death from internal injuries, officials said.
“[Lainez] never told emergency-room staff, so the child never received appropriate medical care [that] could have saved him,” Manzello said.
Luis died more than 12 hours after being admitted to the hospital.
Under a plea agreement with the Suffolk County district attorney, Lainez is expected to receive a prison sentence of 11 ½ years on the manslaughter rap.
Idalia Rivas, Lainez’s girlfriend and mother of the murdered child, yesterday stood by the killer, even shedding tears as officers dragged Lainez from the courtroom.
She declined to speak with reporters.
Lainez’s attorney said his client has always shown remorse for the crime and has never denied responsibility.
“If he could take back that day, take back that moment in time, he would,” said William Petrillo. “He loved that child.”