Mom pleads guilty in son's birthday cake beating death

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - (AP) -- A Maryland woman has pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse in the beating death of her 9-year-old son over a missing piece of birthday cake.

Prosecutors agreed to drop a second-degree murder charge and seek a sentence of no more than 20 years for 27-year-old Oriana Garcia, who appeared Wednesday in a Hagerstown courtroom.

Garcia's son Jack was handcuffed to a chair by Garcia's brother and pummeled by her boyfriend, who suspected Jack of eating cake meant for his 2-year-old daughter.

Police say Garcia allowed the abuse and sent away an ambulance as Jack lay dying.

The boyfriend, Robert Wilson, is serving 30 years for second-degree murder. Jacob Barajas is awaiting sentencing for first-degree child abuse.

© 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.