• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- A Waubay man has been convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter by punching her in the head.
• A federal jury in Sioux Falls deliberated about 2½ hours Thursday evening before convicting Mario Contreras, 35, of second-degree murder and assault resulting in serious injury, according to the American News and KELO-TV. He faces at least 30 years in prison and could get a life term when he is sentenced Nov. 1.
• Aleeyah Cook, who lived primarily with her mother in Sisseton, died in a Fargo, N.D. hospital on Jan. 11, 2012, which was two days after she was injured at her father's home. Defense attorney Sam Khoroosi argued during the trial that the girl fell from a chair while eating at the kitchen table. He told jurors in his closing argument that Aleeya was lethargic and vomiting in the days leading up to her fall, a possible indication that she might have had a previous concussion -- a condition he said Contreras could not have known.
• "He's not a doctor, he's a dad," Khoroosi said.
• Earlier Thursday, Contreras' ex-girlfriend, Brenda Jackson of Sisseton, testified that Aleeyah often had bruises on her head and legs when Contreras picked her up from her mother.
• Dr. Victor Froloff, who conducted the autopsy, testified that he thought her injuries were caused by a fist. On the death certificate, he listed the cause of death as "traumatic head injury" and the manner of death as "homicide."
• Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Wright told jurors during his closing argument that Contreras could have killed his daughter in mere seconds with a couple of punches to the head. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller reminded the jury that doctors found 18 contusions on the inside of Cook's head, and he argued there was no way that so many injuries could have been caused by a single fall from a chair.
• Khoroosi said the girl fell from a chair on Jan. 6 and in the shower the next day, which he said could have made her Jan. 9 fall from the chair more serious.
• Prosecutors argued that Contreras was in danger of losing his job because he was habitually tardy, and said he needed the income because he was paying child support to five women for his seven children. Those and other factors stressed Contreras to the point where he assaulted his daughter, they said.
• "We are very happy with the verdict, which was the result of the excellent work

(Continued on page 15)