Local Man Convicted of Killing 9-Month-Old Daughter

NORWALK (CNS) - A South Gate man was convicted today of second-degree murder for the beating death of his 9-month-old daughter. A Norwalk Superior Court jury deliberated about 10 minutes before finding Jose Tulio Deras, 21, guilty in the Jan. 15, 2011, slaying of his daughter, Valerie, who died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Deras also was convicted of assault on a child causing death involving the infant, who was punched numerous times in the chest and hit with a sneaker in the back of the head after crying, according to Deputy District Attorney Heba Matta. He was also convicted of sodomy by use of force on his wife, who returned home after the baby had already died, Matta said.

The couple got into an argument, and Deras tied the woman up and sexually assaulted her, according to the prosecutor. Deras eventually returned to a car, where he had hidden the baby, and retrieved the infant's body from the vehicle. His wife was able to convince him to untie her by persuading him that they should attempt CPR on the baby.

She eventually ran to a nearby auto body shop, where a 911 call was made, the prosecutor said. Deras, a Salvadoran national, fled to Mexico and was turned over to U.S. authorities four days later. He is facing a maximum of 50 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced March 21 by Judge Philip H. Hickok.