Albuquerque, NM (KKOB)- Two people have now been sentenced in connection with the death of a three-year-old girl in Albuquerque. Christina Pena-Cantor was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while James Welch received a sentence of 18 months. The case dates back to 2024, when the child’s mother Kerri Santos, brought her daughter to UNM Hospital and reported that she had fallen from a toilet and hit her head. Doctors quickly determined the child had already died and discovered signs of abuse, including evidence she had been tied up.
Investigators later learned Pena-Cantor had repeatedly restrained the girl while staying at Welch’s home. Prosecutors described Pena-Cantor as the ringleader of the abuse.
Welch pleaded no contest in April to three counts of child abuse and tampering with evidence. Santos meanwhile, remains in jail at MDC as her case is ongoing.
