Woman Sentenced To 40 years For Punching 4-Year-Old To Death

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston woman charged in the death her boyfriend's 4-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The Houston Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1rh2rAl ) reports that 34-year-old Elisena Carmona was sentenced Tuesday in the death of Lillian Fortner. Carmona had pleaded guilty to murder.

Authorities say Fortner was pronounced dead at a hospital on March 11, 2014, and that Carmona initially told investigators that the girl had fallen and hit her head a few days earlier.

An autopsy revealed that the child died from a hole in her small intestine that was caused by blunt force trauma. Bruises were also found on the girl's body.

Prosecutor Jennifer Meriwether said the fatal injury was from a punch to the stomach.