FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Just a month shy of turning two years old in this world, Julius Lopez was killed by blunt force trauma in 2017.
On Thursday morning, the man responsible, Gage Hurtado, was sentenced to 20 years after entering a plea deal.
The victim’s mother, Nicole Lopez, shared a few words reflecting on the challenging eight years she’s endured since losing her son.
“There is no recovery period for me. I am still trying to recover every single day. The trauma lives in my body, mind and every part of my life,” said Nicole Lopez.
In a previous court hearing in 2019, Nicole testified that Hurtado was her boyfriend at the time and did not expect him to hurt her child.
“I would see the way they would play. He had kids of his own. From day one, he did not mind that I had a son of my own,” said Lopez while testifying.
The day Julius died, Nicole said she woke up and was getting ready for school when Hurtado went outside to use her cell phone.
Police say Hurtado called 911.
One officer described what he witnessed that day during his testimony years earlier.
“I felt the baby. The baby felt cold to the touch,” said Officer Joel Santos.
During sentencing, Nicole also talked about the heartache of not being able to say goodbye to her child.
“What hurts the most is being denied the chance to say goodbye to my baby. The biological father kept me from attending the viewing services,” said Lopez.
And shared relief that Hurtado would be behind bars for two decades.
“He stole a life that cannot be returned. He stole my peace, and he should not be given the opportunity to hurt another soul,” said Lopez.
Hurtado has a long history of domestic violence that dates back to 2011.
Fresno County Senior Deputy Attorney Amy Cobb says cases involving child abuse are preventable and hopes there can be more education about the topic.
