A Newhall man was sentenced Tuesday to 50 years to life in state prison for the beating death of his 19-day-old daughter.
Matthew Brendan Warner, 30, pleaded no contest Sept. 2 to a first-degree murder charge.
The body of his infant daughter, Ellorah Rose Warner, was discovered Jan. 24 in the front cab of a Nissan pickup truck in an apartment complex parking lot in the 23600 block of Newhall Avenue.
Her parents had gone to the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station about 9:30 the previous night to report her missing, triggering an extensive search by police dogs, deputies on foot and helicopter crews in the area near the unmarried couple’s condominium in the southern end of Newhall.
At 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, Warner led investigators to the older-model Nissan truck, which was parked about a half-mile from the condo, and the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutors said her body had been wrapped in towels and placed inside some bags.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Warner beat the infant to death while her mother was at work, then hid the body and claimed the baby had been kidnapped.
In addition to murder, Warner was originally charged with assault, torture and sex-related charges involving the child. Those charges were dismissed as a result of his plea.
— City News Service