A Santa Clara County judge sentenced 36-year-old Jesse Manuel Figueroa today to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2020 killing of his infant daughter, Raina. A jury convicted the San Jose father earlier this year after a trial that dug into months of alleged family violence and what prosecutors described as catastrophic blunt-force injuries that proved fatal, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said Figueroa brought his unconscious 8-month-old daughter to a Mountain View fire station on July 4, 2020, and she was later treated at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto. The medical examiner ruled Raina’s death a homicide and, as quoted in the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office’s release, said the blow "was so hard it caused her brain to dislodge and move to a different part of her head." Prosecutors also said a bruise in the shape of an adult hand developed while the child was at the hospital.
Inside the courtroom, jurors saw scans that showed brain swelling and an indentation to Raina’s left temple, and medical staff noted bruising near her left eye, according to The Mercury News. Prosecutors told the jury that Figueroa was the only person who had custody of the baby when the fatal injuries occurred. Family members submitted impact statements describing Raina as deeply loved and urging the court to impose the harshest possible punishment.
Prosecutors Described a Pattern of Abuse
Trial evidence, the DA's office wrote, showed a history of brutal conduct inside the home. Prosecutors said Figueroa repeatedly beat and strangled Raina’s mother and harmed the couple’s other young children, including forcing them to kneel on rice as punishment. At the time of the fatal injury, Figueroa was under a restraining order that blocked him from unsupervised visits with Raina, according to the DA’s release.
Sentencing and Next Steps
Court records show Figueroa was charged on February 17, 2021, as reported by The Mercury News. He was convicted at trial earlier this year, and the judge imposed a state prison term of 25 years to life. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects both the severity of Raina’s injuries and what they described as the defendant’s sustained pattern of violence.
Context in Santa Clara County
The case lands in the middle of a grim trend in Santa Clara County involving prosecutions over the deaths of young children. Prosecutors and local outlets have noted that the District Attorney’s Office has pursued aggressive charges in cases where evidence points to deliberate or reckless harm to kids. For more background on recent child-death prosecutions in the region, see reporting by KQED. County officials say these cases highlight a continuing focus on protecting vulnerable children and holding caretakers accountable.
