BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A sentencing hearing for a man found guilty of killing his infant son was postponed Wednesday after his attorney requested more time to complete paperwork for a future parole hearing.
Deputy Public Defender Julius Cruz said by next week he’ll have finished a report for a youthful offender hearing — commonly known as a Franklin hearing — in which mitigating factors are documented for review by a parole board.
Judge John R. Brownlee rescheduled the sentencing hearing for July 7. He said there will be no further delays.
Eduardo Gutierrez was found guilty in January of second-degree murder, assault on a child under 8 causing death and child abuse. He faces a life term in prison.
Gutierrez was 24 when Valentin, his 3-week-old son, was found unresponsive after being left alone with him on Nov. 24, 2024.
When asked by the child’s mother what he’d done, Gutierrez gave a chilling response: “I made him stop crying.”
The baby died days later at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera. A doctor there determined Valentin had “abusive head trauma” and a cut to his liver typically indicative of being punched in the stomach.
The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy suspected abuse even from the external examination of Valentin’s body.
“We’re talking about blunt force injuries,” the pathologist testified at trial. He said Valentin’s injuries showed he was “severely shaken” and suffered blunt force head trauma.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.