Nancy Ortiz of Orosi has been sentenced to more than 22 years in state prison.
A jury convicted Ortiz early last month on second-degree murder and felony child abuse charges and. On Monday, Ortiz was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months for the abuse charges and 15 years to life in connection with the death of her daughter.
Ortiz did not speak during the hearing but did get emotional when the sentencing was handed down.
Ortiz gave birth to the three children from February 2005 to December 2006, abandoning each newborn in front of neighbor’s homes. One boy and one girl survived but the third baby died of hypothermia when she was left in the back of a pickup. Prosecutors determined the infant had been left outside for a day and a half before she was discovered.
During the trial, Ortiz admitted she kept the pregnancies a secret and abandoned the newborns, hoping they would have a better life than she could provide.
Defense Attorney Michelle Winspur said this was not a case of murder but that Ortiz was in a problematic situation.
Nancy Ortiz will have to serve at least 22 years and 4 months before she is eligible for parole and will not get credit for time served because this was a murder case.
