Ventura County man who beat 4-year-old daughter into a coma sentenced to life in prison
A Ventura County man convicted of beating his 4-year-old daughter so severely that it left her paralyzed and in a vegetative state was sentenced this week to life in prison with the possibility of parole, officials said.
Tekquan Alexander, of Thousand Oaks, was convicted in November of torture, assault on a child causing a coma and corporal injury to a child, all felonies, in connection with his daughter, Alani, the Ventura County district attorney’s office said in a news release. The jury also agreed to multiple aggravating factors in the case, including causing great bodily injury to a child under 5, using a weapon and taking advantage of a position of trust.
“Today [Friday] is Alani’s birthday and, while no punishment can undo the lifetime of challenges she will face, her family knowing her perpetrator could spend his life behind bars is a small gift of justice,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Rikole Kelly, who prosecuted the case, said in a Friday release. It was unclear when Alexander would be eligible for parole.
Over the week of Thanksgiving 2021, Alexander, 28, punched and beat his daughter Alani with a belt, the district attorney’s office said. On Nov. 29, he assaulted her with the belt again and after she wet her bed, he beat her with a stereo amplifier cable to unconsciousness in the bathroom of their home, according to the district attorney’s office.
Despite receiving multiple reports this spring about a family with an absent mother and gnawing hunger, DCFS never opened a case.
The girl was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and was diagnosed with a brain injury, a brain bleed, spinal compression and broken bones, authorities said.
“Alani continues to suffer from profound and life-altering consequences due to the injuries she sustained. She remains paralyzed and in a vegetative state,” prosecutors said. “Her condition underscores the devastating impact of these injuries, leaving her reliant on round-the-clock medical care and support for even the most basic functions.”
If you believe a child is being abused or is unsafe due to neglect, call that county’s 24-hour hotline to report it.
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