Maryland man sentenced to 30 years for fatally beating boy over birthday cake

A Maryland man on Thursday was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally beating his girlfriend's 9-year-old son over missing birthday cake, court records showed.

Robert Wilson, 31, of Hagerstown, was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court after pleading guilty of second-degree murder, according to court records.

Prosecutors dropped seven charges of child abuse, assault, neglect and reckless endangerment in the case against Wilson, who took a plea deal, court records showed.

Prosecutors accused Wilson of handcuffing and beating 9-year-old Jack Garcia, his girlfriend's son, for eating a piece of birthday cake without permission on June 30 in Hagerstown, Maryland, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Washington D.C.

The boy died from head injuries in a Washington hospital on July 5, authorities said.

Jack's mother, Oriana Garcia, and his uncle, Jacob Barajas allowed the abuse and delayed treatment by sending away an ambulance and refusing treatment for five hours, prosecutors said. They face trial on second-degree murder charges on May 17.

(Reporting By John Clarke in Washington D.C.; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)