Pablo Flores
Flores gave his plea before Superior Court Judge Richard Sutton in court Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Sutton sentenced Flores to the maximum of 10 years, to be served on probation. The time Flores has served in the jail since his arrest will count toward the sentence, the judge said. Flores was also instructed that federal authorities would be notified and he will remain in custody until Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes custody of him.
Flores was charged in the death of 15-month-old Bryan Abadio after Abadio was injured in a July 15, 2011 incident in the home that Flores shared with the child’s mother and two others. The baby died after 10 days on life support at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, according to Albin Abadio, the child’s father. The Georgia Crime Lab determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys stated that it has not been determined as to what caused the injury.
Sutton barred Flores from any future contact with the child’s family. He also banned Flores from the Tallapoosa Circuit, which includes Polk and Haralson Counties, and also from Floyd County where the child’s mother lives. Flores was originally charged with felony murder, but the district attorney’s office agreed to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter because prosecutors weren't convinced they could win a murder conviction. Likewise, defense attorney John Husser, said he felt comfortable with a plea rather than risking a conviction at trial.
“Nothing done here today is going to bring back that child. At least this is a resolution and justice for the baby,” Husser told the judge.
Shouldn't part of the plea deal be him admitting how he did it?