A decade before he was charged with murder, a 2-year-old Cristian Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering on a street in south Florida. The grandmother who was taking care of him was high on cocaine in a dirty motel, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.
His life had been marked by violence since he was conceived, an act that resulted in a conviction of sexual assault against his father. Fernandez’s life got worse ever since. He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who killed himself before police arrived to investigate the beating.
The boy learned to crush his feelings, once telling a counselor: "You have to crush feelings to overcome it."
Now, 13, Fernandez is accused of two heinous crimes. He is charged with first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half brother. He has been charged as an adult and is the youngest prisoner Duval County.
Fernandez pleaded guilty Friday morning to manslaughter and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to prison. The 13-year-old will be jailed until his 19th birthday, which is in January 2018. Then, he will be on probation for eight years
