A Tampa man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found him guilty in the gruesome beating death of his girlfriend’s 17-month-old child. Prosecutors successfully proved that Enrico Adams was the person responsible for killing the baby while the mother took her other children to the laundromat in December 2019.
This was the second Central Florida trial for Adams after a jury previously could not agree on a verdict last summer.
Jurors heard testimony from the baby’s mother, who found the child unresponsive in the crib after being left alone with Adams for a matter of hours. Video evidence showed the defendant outside of the apartment frustrated, and roughly handling the victim as he walked back into the home. Prior to the victim’s mother leaving to do laundry, the baby was acting and playing normally. Autopsy results showed the baby died of severe blunt force trauma.
Adams faced a mandatory life prison sentence on the first-degree murder charge.
“It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could harm a defenseless, innocent child,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez. “I am proud of our prosecution team for ensuring this monster will live the rest of his life in prison thinking about the life he viciously stole. My heart is with the victim’s mother and family as they process their unimaginable grief.”
State Attorney Lopez leads a team of talented prosecutors and professional staff who are responsible for all criminal prosecutions in the 13th Judicial Circuit.
