A man has been made to answer after he stepped on and killed a toddler and claiming he felt better after doing it.
Scarlett (left) and Daniel Ruiz (right)
A California man has been found guilty of murdering a baby girl by stepping on her.
Prosecutors revealed on Friday that he told them he felt a sense of relief after committing the atrocious crime.
Inside Edition reports that the man who was identified as Daniel Ruiz of Hesperia killed one-year-old Scarlett by placing his foot on her chest and crushing her with the force of most of his 230-pound bulk while the baby's mother was out buying milk.
After crushing the baby, the San Bernadino County District Attorney said Ruiz flipped through channels on the television while Scarlett struggled desperately to breathe.
In a statement, the Lead Deputy District Attorney Kathleen DiDonato said: “The defendant stated that he actually felt better after stepping on the victim, as he sat there watching television. The whole time, Scarlett was behind him, lying on the floor trying to catch her breath. Fighting for her life.”
Ruiz had just gotten home from work on Aug. 28, 2013 when Scarlett's mother and Ruiz's girlfriend asked him to watch the baby.
DiDonato revealed that: “During his interview with law enforcement, the defendant stated that it felt as if the two ladies were taking advantage of him.”
Scarlett was propped up on a pillow on the floor when Ruiz committed the act that would end her life. "Scarlett began gasping for breath," the statement reads. She then had what appeared to be a seizure.
When the mother returned home, Ruiz told her the child was having a seizure but that he didn't know why.
Ruiz later told police what he'd done. The 25-year-old was convicted Thursday on one count each of Second Degree Murder and Assault on a Child Causing Death.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2016 in Victorville Superior Court. He faces 25 years to life in prison.