GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- Juan Javier Maravilla, 33 of Green Bay, pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide Friday in the death of a 15-month-old. A charge of physical abuse of a child causing death was dismissed in Brown County Circuit Court. Maravilla will be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. April 24.
Police called this child abuse case one of the worst they've ever seen. According to court documents, the investigation began in May 2017 when the child was brought to the hospital and was already dead. Police say she was "covered in bruises".
Maravilla was boyfriend to the child's mother, Sarah L. Kairys, 32 of Green Bay, who is charged with Child Neglect Resulting in Death and Failure to Prevent Bodily Harm to a Child, both as party to a crime. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 17.
Court documents say at the hospital Kairys and Maravilla told police the child was sick and had fallen down the stairs. However, police say their stories did not match and timelines were wrong. Police also say they observed Maravilla was nervous and sweating at the hospital.
After further investigation and interviewing the suspects several times, Maravilla admitted to "accidentally making the child fall down the stairs", as well as hitting her other times.
In the criminal complaint, Maravilla told police, "I smacked her up because I got mad, I just got mad and I accidentally hit her".
In later questioning the mother told police she believed Maravilla might have had something to do with her daughter’s death. Kairys told police she notice that her child was hesitant to go near Maravilla and she noticed more bruises and the child started walking with a limp.
According to autopsy results, the toddler died of blunt force injuries to the head and torso. There were also several internal injuries. Results also showed the toddler was malnourished. There were multiple viral and bacterial infections of the lungs and ears with no medical treatment.
