POLSON — A Lake County District Court judge decided not to follow a binding plea agreement when sentencing a man Friday for the negligent homicide of 14-month-old Aniyah Star Charlo.
Star Charlo died in 2021 while in the care of family member Estevan Orozco-Charlo.
“I don't just miss Aniyah," Lorelie Couture, Aniyah's mother, said. "I miss who she was going to be. I miss the daughter I was supposed to raise."
WATCH: Polson judge rejects plea deal in death of 14-month-old girl.
Orozco-Charlo admitted to being under the influence while watching Star Charlo and falling asleep with the infant. When he woke up, he was on top of her, and she was having difficulty breathing.
Court documents stated he tried to wake her by shaking her repeatedly. He was also accused of incorrectly administering CPR and not taking her to a nearby hospital.
“The medical findings tell a heartbreaking truth. My daughter did not die peacefully," Lorelie Couture said.
During Orozco-Charlo’s sentencing, statements from family urged the court to pursue a lengthier sentence than the plea agreement, which was 10 years with five suspended.
“From the beginning, we have stressed to the state that we did not want any plea deal," Tammy Couture, Aniyah's grandmother, said. "Please help us get justice for Aniyah."
“My daughter has been gone four years and eleven months. That's 1,805 days today. I have been waiting that long for accountability," Lorelie told the court. "I am asking this court to make sure justice does not wait any longer."
Family also shared how much the baby meant to them and how their loss is immeasurable.
“She deserved to grow up. We deserved to watch her grow and blossom into the woman that we knew that she would be," Samantha McNair, Aniyah's aunt, said.
"She deserved a life full of milestones, birthdays, first days of school, growing up alongside her siblings. And dreams she never had a chance to experience. She deserved to see her second birthday. We deserved to celebrate with her, teach her about life, and see her smile spread more warmth and love with every year," Raeleen Stokes, Aniyah's godmother, stated.
"Every holiday is broken, every silent moment filled with grief, and our sense of safety and trust has been completely destroyed," Stokes continued.
“Now I have another little sister. Because of what happened to Aniyah, I worry about things in ways that the kid my age shouldn't have to. Losing Aniyah taught me how fragile life is," Darius Couture, Aniyah's brother, said.
Ultimately, Orozco-Charlo was sentenced to 15 years with seven suspended, a 5-year parole restriction, and nearly $10,000 in restitution.
As the family moves forward, they said they will never have full closure, but will now have some peace.
"I mean, she was part of our family. That's something we can't get back," Johnathon Charlo, Aniyah's father, said.
