An Erie man who beat a 3-year-old girl for spitting up strawberries in her cereal will spend nine to 25 years in state prison.
Twenty-three-year-old Hussan Al-Mrahij says he's sorry and has nightmares from beating the girl on July 3. His attorney says Al-Mrahij suffers from seeing a family member shot in 2004 and was on drugs at the time of the beating.
But police detectives say Al-Mrahij told them he beat the girl to show her he was the "alpha male" of the household. The girl is the daughter of the defendant's now ex-girlfriend.
The Erie Times-News says the girl cannot walk or talk but is learning to blink to say "yes" or "no."
Al-Mrahij was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in March to aggravated assault and child endangerment.
Pa. Man Beats Toddler for Spitting Berries
The man says he's sorry for beating his ex-girlfriend's daughter.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
