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SANTA ANA (CNS) - A 31-year-old ex-Marine pleaded guilty Thursday to killing his girlfriend's 17-month-old daughter in the city of Orange.
Christopher David Recio pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 16.
Recio killed his girlfriend's daughter, Claire Frickenschmidt, Jan. 5, 2019, in the mother's apartment at 3099 W. Chapman Ave., according to grand jury testimony.
Firefighters were called about 5:30 p.m. that day and took the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department.
Recio was arrested Jan. 16, 2019, and is being held on $1 million bail.
The baby sustained trauma to the head, McMullin said.