SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 31-year-old ex-Marine was sentenced Jan. 13 to 15 years to life in prison for killing his girlfriend’s 17-month-old daughter in the city of Orange.
Christopher David Recio pleaded guilty July 7 to second-degree murder.
Recio killed his girlfriend’s daughter, Claire Frickenschmidt, Jan. 5, 2019, in the mother’s apartment at 3099 W. Chapman Avenue, according to grand jury testimony.
Firefighters were called about 5:30 p.m. that day and took the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department. The baby sustained trauma to the head, McMullin said.
Recio, who was arrested Jan. 16, 2019, was given credit for 1,459 days in custody, which is about four years….