News & Politics - Man Gets 20 Years For Leaving Child In The Car

Lain · 03-23-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Man gets 20 years for daughter's death in car while he gambled
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

By Lisa J. Huriash
Staff Writer

March 22, 2005

A young father who left his baby daughter in the car while he bet on horses at Gulfstream Park was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for her death.

Antonio Francisco Balta, 28, pleaded with Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes for mercy for his mistake.

"The sun rose and fell upon her," he said. "She was my life, and I suffer her loss every waking hour of each day."

Balta could have faced up to 30 years in prison for the death of his 9-month-old daughter Veronika. He pleaded guilty in February to aggravated manslaughter in hopes of a lighter sentence. But Holmes agreed with the prosecutor's sentencing recommendation, saying Balta "had a reckless disregard for his daughter's safety."

Prosecutor Howard Scheinberg said Veronika suffered before she died. "This baby died trapped and tied down in a human sauna," he said.

Police said Balta told them that on March 13, 2004, he left Veronica strapped in a car seat in his 1996 Pontiac while he watched races at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, where he groomed horses. He left a window cracked open less than a half-inch and said he checked on her twice. He left her alone for 45 minutes before he checked on her a third time and found her not breathing. In the stifling, 125-degree car, the baby's body temperature reached 107 degrees.

In court Monday, he testified that he bet on the horses because he "was short on money" to move back to New York, even though he and his girlfriend had almost $4,000.

He also said he had locked the car that day because it was filled with possessions he and his girlfriend were planning to take to New York.

Defense attorney Ken Padowitz said the sentence was too harsh. Balta has an IQ of only 74, and he is a blue-collar worker earning $375 a week, he noted. He is entitled to the same treatment as a Parkland dentist who left his son in a hot car last summer and received 10 years of probation, Padowitz said.

The dentist, Dr. Dennis Sierra, forgot his 3-year-old son Andres in his car when he went to his office west of Boca Raton in July. Three hours later, when a relative's call to check on the boy sparked panic, Sierra and several of his employees rushed outside and found Andres overheated and unresponsive.

Scheinberg said the cases are not comparable. The Sierra case, he said, was an accident because the dentist forgot his child, while Balta knew the child was in the car and checked on her a few times.

Balta's family said they are devastated. "He didn't do it on purpose," said cousin Shirley Pezua. "He loved his daughter."

The family of his girlfriend, Michelle Bashford, Veronika's mother, said they are having a hard time moving on, too.

"I don't think it was Veronika's time yet," said Robert Bashford, Michelle Bashford's father. "It was for his own selfishness that she passed on."

Good night!!! Common sense people, don't leave your kids in the car, especially at the fact that you're in Florida! I can't believe it!

Sheebs · 03-23-2005, 12:08 PM

OMG!! Some people's pure stupidity astounds me.

It really IS just common sense!! Especially Floridians should know that!!!

I'm sorry, but he deserves whatver punishment he gets!

mh67511 · 03-23-2005, 01:43 PM

I feel bad but I think that is pretty harsh. I just think it's a really sad accident. He didn't purposefully leave her in there to die and he has an IQ of 74. And he is remorseful too; obviously he feels horribly. I've never even heard of a drunken driver getting that much time! I remember one chick got 30 days after killing someone while she was drunk driving.

- Jen - · 03-23-2005, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_boogiepop

Good night!!! Common sense people, don't leave your kids in the car, especially at the fact that you're in Florida! I can't believe it!

a person with an IQ would lack a lot of common sense. And while i think he deserves some sort of punishment, 20 years is a lot, considering, as someone pointed out, there are drunk drivers getting off when they killed someone, and other people who have left kids in the car, are getting off on probation, or only a couple of years of jail time.

pacifierrocks · 03-23-2005, 09:12 PM

Ok, when i first read that he left his child in the car to bet on horses i thought, good he got 20 years. But then with the fact that he has a low IQ and with the fact that the dentist guy didn't even get any jail time for what he did, it seems a bit wrong to me. He should be punished for what he did, but 20 years in prison when a man with a normal IQ level only gets 10 years probations? its crazy. And it seems slightly wrong to me. Why is he being punished more?

LittleMilkJug · 03-24-2005, 12:14 AM

I know it was the stupidest mistake, and a tragic one but it was a mistake. He did not want to kill her, can you imagine how guilty he must be feeling and will be feeling for the rest of his life?
It makes me mad the murderers with smart lawyers get much less or even get off scott free

roswellain_chick16 · 03-24-2005, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleMilkJug

It makes me mad the murderers with smart lawyers get much less or even get off scott free

20 Years is a HUGE prison sentence. This poor guy made a mistake and it cost him HIS daughters life

mh67511 · 03-25-2005, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleMilkJug

It makes me mad the murderers with smart lawyers get much less or even get off scott free

The more I think about this, the more it totally infuriates me. This is a PERFECT example of how UNJUST our system is. They claim that because the dentist didn't check on his child multiple times, it's suddenly an accident? Give me a break -- they BOTH forgot about their children.

This man vented the window and checked on his child twice and they were fine when he checked. Unfortunantely, JUST LIKE THE DENTIST, he FORGOT about his daughter.

Just because you check something twice doesn't mean you still can't forget. There have been many times where I've been baking something and I'll check on it a few times and then something comes up and I forget and my food gets burned.

Ugh I'm just so mad about this. It's a tragic mistake no doubt about it, but 20 years is completely ridiculous. This man FORGOT to check on his daughter like the dentist and is extremely remorseful and probably won't go a day without remembering his daughter.

He is not a murderer and he's not a threat to society.

-Kelly- · 03-25-2005, 10:12 PM

Silly man


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