Wilson Praises Slain Boy’s Mother for Work on New Child Beating Penalties
Gov. Pete Wilson praised the mother of a slain 3-year-old Newport Beach boy Tuesday for helping push through a new law increasing the penalty for fatally beating a young child.
During an appearance in Los Angeles, Wilson said that Karey Jaeger had “shown how much of a difference one individual can make in fighting for justice.”
Jaeger’s son, Tyler, was beaten to death in 1994. The boy suffered broken bones and internal injuries as severe as those suffered in car crashes. Her boyfriend, Brian Laudenback, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to a term of 15 years to life in prison.
Jaeger and Assemblyman Steven T. Kuykendall (R-Long Beach) pushed through a new law increasing the penalty to 25 years to life for anyone caring for a child under age 8 who dies of a beating.
Wilson signed the measure last week.
There are more than 110 incidents of fatal child abuse in a typical year in California, according to the state Department of Health Services.
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