Man convicted of killing a child he claimed had a demon inside him

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD/Gray News) – A man who killed his young son in 2019 was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

A judge has handed down the sentence for 36-year-old Pablo Martinez Jr. after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this year.

His prison sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.

Prosecutors say Martinez killed a six-year-old boy in September 2019 by holding the victim’s face under a running bathtub faucet for five to 10 minutes.

The water caused liquid thermal burns, resulting in his death.

Pablo initially told investigators that his son had a demon inside him.

He admitted to holding the child under the tap and claimed the hot water forced the demon out.

The child suffered burns to 15 percent of his body and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

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