Northern California man given maximum sentence after he was convicted of infant son’s murder

A Yuba County man found guilty of murdering his infant son was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life in prison.

Eric Montejano Sr., 23, of Linda was arrested in December 2019 for striking his five-week-old child, Eric Montejano Jr., in the head, causing his death. On May 28, a jury found him guilty of assault on a child causing death, second-degree murder and child abuse likely to cause death.

Montejano received the maximum sentencing possible, Chief Deputy District Attorney Shiloh Sorbello told The Sacramento Bee. Still, he said, it is “hard to fathom” how the justice system can deliver a sentence that can adequately address the murder of an infant.

“It is just such a tragic loss,” Sorbello said. “There’s no way that something like that can’t result in a life sentence, as far as I can tell. This is a crime against the most vulnerable possible victim.”

The baby’s mother, Jacqueline Borja-Estrada, testified against Montejano during the trial and read a victim impact statement during the Monday sentencing.