Wisconsin teen sentenced to life in brutal slaying of 5-year-old boy found in dumpster

An 18-year-old Wisconsin antheral was sentenced Friday to beingness successful situation for his relation successful the brutal sidesplitting of a 5-year-old Milwaukee lad whose disappearance aboriginal led to changes successful authorities law.

Erik Mendoza, who was 15 astatine the clip of the crime, volition not beryllium eligible to petition for merchandise for 50 years. He pleaded blameworthy successful February to first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and 3 counts of second-degree recklessly endangering information successful the decease of Prince McCree, according to section outlets FOX 6 and WISN.

"When considering the superior quality of this defendant's offenses, it does not get much serious, much egregious than this," Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Torbenson said during Friday's sentencing hearing.

McCree was reported missing connected Oct. 25, 2023, aft his parent allowed him to spell play video games successful the basement of helium location wherever his household lived, wherever David Pietura — who was aboriginal sentenced to beingness successful situation successful the lawsuit — besides lived. When she could not find him aboriginal that day, she contacted police, according to FOX 6.

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Erik Mendoza is pictured successful a booking photo.  (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office)

The pursuing morning, authorities recovered the child's assemblage successful a dumpster adjacent North 55th Street and West Vliet Street, astir a mile from his home, WISN reported.

Investigators said Mendoza admitted to choking McCree and striking him aggregate times with a play club, FOX 6 reported, citing tribunal records.

Court records allege Mendoza and accomplice Pietura aboriginal disposed of the boy's body. Surveillance video cited successful tribunal filings showed the brace carrying a achromatic garbage container done an alley connected the time McCree disappeared, according to the outlet.

Prosecutors said Pietura initially told investigators helium and Mendoza had gone for a walk. However, cellphone GPS information contradicted his account. Pietura aboriginal directed constabulary to the determination of McCree's body, FOX 6 reported.

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Prince McCree, 5, is shown successful an undated household photo. (FOX 6)

Pietura pleaded blameworthy to first-degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to beingness successful situation successful 2024, according to FOX 6.

The lawsuit prompted the Prince Act, a Wisconsin instrumentality that broadened the state's missing-child alert strategy to see cases that bash not conscionable the criteria for an Amber Alert, WISN reported.

During Friday's hearing, McCree's parents delivered affectional unfortunate interaction statements.

"What I privation to accidental is. I privation this feline would dice and burn. No mercy. And I privation I could bash it with my hands," Darron McCree, Prince McCree's father, told the court. "I'm a antithetic idiosyncratic now. My beingness is my kid's life."

Jordan Barger, Prince McCree's mother, said her "baby didn't merit anything."

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Darron McCree, the begetter of 5-year-old Prince McCree, attends the sentencing proceeding for Erik Mendoza. (FOX 6)

"He was five. You were 15," Barger said. "That's a very, precise large difference. And similar I said, I'm conscionable blessed justness got served."

Mendoza declined to code the tribunal during sentencing.

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The Milwaukee Police Department did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.