La Mesa
A La Mesa man who beat his pregnant girlfriend, causing the death of the fetus, was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in state prison.
Phil Aston Miller Jr., 27, had pleaded guilty March 2 to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon.
“This was a particularly vicious and aggravated assault upon the mother carrying the child,” said San Diego Superior Court Judge Wayne Peterson.
Peterson imposed an additional three-year term for the assault, but ordered that it run concurrently with the 11 years.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Kerry Hamor said the case was difficult because the girlfriend, Linda Willis, “was unwilling to prosecute and did not want him prosecuted.”
The prosecutor said the beating occurred July 31. The baby was born Aug. 1 in an emergency Caesarean section, was declared brain dead three days later, and taken off a life support system Aug. 30.
The couple have three other children and had lived together for eight years.
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