A New York woman has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally beating her boyfriend's 3-year-old daughter and preventing others from seeking medical care for her.
A judge in Rochester sentenced 25-year-old Erica Bell on Wednesday morning for second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Bell didn't speak in court.
Prosecutors say Bell punched Brook Stagles in the stomach three times last November. The girl later died in the hospital of a systemic infection from a burst intestine.
Testimony at trial alleged Bell beat the child for coming into the room when she was shooting heroin. Bell claimed Brook's father, Michael Stagles, beat the child.
Last month, Stagles pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide for failing to get medical attention for his daughter. He'll be sentenced Dec. 6.
