Man to be sentenced in death of daughter
Sunday, April 25, 1999 | 9:14 a.m.
A Washoe District Court jury will return at 10 a.m. Monday to decide whether Lonnie Tavares of Reno should be sentenced to 20 to 50 years in prison, or to life in prison with or without parole.
The same jury on Friday found Tavares guilty of Chela Tavares' murder.
Prosecutors argued Tavares either pinched her nose shut, cutting off oxygen to her brain, or she died of child abuse that he failed to prevent.
Tavares called paramedics in January 1998 after the child stopped breathing. She was declared dead a few days later.
An autopsy showed she had 12 fractured ribs, a skull fracture and broken arm.
Tavares' lawyer argued that if anyone abused the child, it was her mother, Amy Cuevas.
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