Man Gets 15 Years to Life in Baby Slaying : Sentencing: The Santa Ana resident was convicted in June of beating to death his girlfriend’s 11-month-old daughter.

Steven Delgado, the 22-year-old Santa Ana man convicted of second-degree murder in the beating death of his girlfriend’s 11-month-old daughter, was sentenced Friday to serve 15 years to life in prison.

In announcing the sentence, Superior Court Judge Ragner Engebretsen recommended against probation for Delgado.

“I do not think that there is an appropriate case for probation here,” Engebretsen said, “especially considering the extremely serious nature of the conviction, as it involved an 11-month-old child.”

Delgado, who was present for the hearing, did not react.

The sentencing followed a complicated two-day hearing on a defense motion for a retrial, based in large part on a written confession to the crime submitted by the girl’s mother, Elizabeth Ruiz.

In denying the request for a new trial, Engebretsen said he was convinced that the jury had considered the possibility of other suspects, including the mother, during its deliberations.

On Friday, Engebretsen ruled on a second issue raised by Delgado’s lawyer in the motion for a new trial. Frederick McBride, Delgado’s attorney, objected to an exchange between the judge and jurors during the jury’s deliberation, arguing that a clarification that jurors had sought should have been delivered in writing rather than orally.

Engebretsen said, however, that his comments had been clarified in a written note to the 12 jurors and that he did not feel the exchange had damaged Delgado’s right to a fair trial.

The trial, which took place in June, was notable in that the 5-year-old brother of the victim took the stand for the prosecution. During one especially dramatic moment, the child pointed out Delgado as the man he had watched kill his infant sister.

Throughout the proceedings, Ruiz made contradictory statements regarding the events that took place the night of the murder. After the judge ruled that her post-conviction confessions were not substantial reasons for a new trial, Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert C. Gannon Jr. said he was not surprised by Ruiz’s statements.

“Her changing story had created additional concern during the investigation, and we worked extremely hard on the case because of the fact that we had some conflicts from someone who had been an eyewitness to some of the events,” Gannon said. “Our appraisal that much of what she said was either inaccurate or untrue was confirmed by the jury.”

McBride said he expects to appeal the conviction. “It’s probably not over yet,” he said.