Plea hearing reset for Cedar Rapids man charged in toddler's 2012 death 

IOWA CITY - A plea hearing has been reset for an Iowa City man charged in the death of his girlfriend's toddler in 2012.

Jorge Perez, 23, will make an Alford plea June 26 in Johnson County District Court to one count of child endangerment resulting in death, according to court documents filed last month. An Alford plea is when a defendant claims innocence but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Perez faces up to 50 years in prison. His trial was set to start last month before the plea agreement was reached, according to court documents.

Perez admitted to investigators that he hit 20-month-old Marcus in the face with his knuckles, held a pillow over his head, stepped on his stomach and threw him up in the air without catching him. Perez said he didn't intend to harm the child. According to a medical exam, Marcus had broken ribs, bruises on his head, face, back and stomach, internal injuries and subdural bleeding in his head. He died from blunt force injuries to the head on April 30, 2012.

Marcus' mother Mireya Balderas, 21, also is charged with child endangerment resulting in death. She admitted to investigators that she hit the toddler in the face, held a pillow over his head to get him to sleep, and also watched Perez abuse the child, according to court documents.

Perez and Balderas were not arrested until weeks after Marcus' death on June 10, 2012.

A trial for Balderas is set for Oct. 13.

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