A Fitchburg, Massachusetts, mother was sentenced to life in prison Friday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her 6-year-old daughter, officials said.
Shana Pedroso, 41, was sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible to seek parole for 25 years, the Worcester County district attorney's office confirmed Friday. Her husband, Marvin Brito, was previously sentenced to prison when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges.
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The investigation into the case began on April 10, 2018, when Fitchburg police were called to a home on Stoneybrook Road and found the girl unresponsive. She was taken to UMass-Memorial HealthAlliance in Leominster where she was pronounced dead. Her 9-year-old brother was also taken to the hospital, prosecutors said, with "injuries consistent with being physically abused."
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the girl died of blunt force injuries and ruled the death a homicide.
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Court documents showed the injured boy told police he had suffered the injuries the day before when "he and his sister were attacked by bullies." He also said his sister "wouldn't drink" the next morning, but the parents said not to call 911.
Pedroso also allegedly closed a wound on the boy's neck with super glue. Investigators found handwritten notes on Pedroso indicating "the children were bad and beaten" a day before police were called to their home.
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The Department of Children and Families said they had no previous record of problems with the family.
Pedroso's sentence also bars her from having contact with the surviving victim for a five-year probation term.
