Lehigh Acres man found not guilty in toddler's death in aggravated child abuse case

A Lehigh Acres man accused in the 2020 death of a 23-month-old girl who died while in his care was found not guilty following a four-day trial in Fort Myers before Lee Circuit Judge J. Frank Porter.

The jury deliberated for more than an hour-and-a-half Thursday, according to a statement from the Brown, Suarez, Rios & Weinberg, P.A. law firm, which represented the defendant in the case.

Yannier Velazquez-Orjeda, 38, faced charges of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

Attorneys Chris Brown and Jose Calvo represented Vazquez-Orjeda.

Prior: Lehigh Acres man who allegedly caused 23-month-old girl's death set for trial

Guilty: Vegan Cape Coral mom found guilty in toddler son's 2019 malnutrition death

Brown said he believed there was a reasonable doubt that Velazquez-Orjeda did anything to harm the toddler.

He added several people were at the home the evening the toddler died.

"There were several people that could've harmed her," he said. "The evidence was just not there to prove Mr. Velazquez was the person who did that."

Brown said there was no reason Velazquez-Orjeda would've committed the crime.

"He loved the child," Brown said. "He was in a good mood that night ... It made no sense."

Velazquez-Orjeda was initially charged with aggravated child abuse, but after the girl died three days later, the State Attorney's Office added the second-degree murder charge.

"The State Attorney's Office did a tremendous job prosecuting the case," Brown said. "So the jury found what they did not because we were better attorneys or anything, but I think it was very hard to tell in the evidence in this case who did this to Stephanie."

Brown said that the trial was heartbreaking itself.

"It was [a] heartbreaking trial to sit through and look at the pictures of Stephanie," Brown said. "So you don't celebrate ... You're satisfied that you believe justice was done for your client, but the fact of the matter remains what happened to Stephanie still happened to her".

Brown emphasized the outcome of the trial is not to celebrate.

"No matter the outcome was going to be of this trial, the fact of the matter is this beautiful little girl was murdered," Brown said. "She was 23 months old and it's just heartbreaking."

"We're not taking a victory lap," he said. "The state did their job ... They did a great job ... They were trying to find justice for this kid."

Yet, Brown is grateful for the jury's decision in the case.

"The case Is tragic," Brown said. "We're just satisfied that the jury came up with a great conclusion because there was a reasonable doubt."

Brown said they felt from the beginning there was insufficient evidence to prove the case.

"That being said, the case was so horrific and so emotionally charged," Brown said. "You never know what's going to happen."

Brown said there was no one in the courtroom who wasn't emotionally affected by what had happened to the toddler, but added that they followed the law.

"I think maybe in the beginning of the case, it's a lesson to why maybe sometimes law enforcement shouldn't comment so publicly of some cases that are in fact very complicated and nuanced," Brown said. "They're sometimes reduced to simple stories of, 'He did it.' And then you get into the courtroom with the actual evidence and you see that's not the case."

Prosecutors also expressed gratitude for the jury's service in the case.

"We appreciate the service of the jury and respect their decision," said Francine Donnorummo, chief at the Special Victims Unit and assistant state attorney.

The News-Press couldn't reach Velazquez-Orjeda for comment before publication Friday.

The background

According to Lee County Sheriff's Office reports, Velazquez-Orjeda was taking care of the child when deputies responded May 17, 2020, to a medical assistance call at a home on 23rd Street Southwest.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno explained at a media briefing after the arrest that the child's mother was in a relationship with Velazquez-Orjeda, and they had been dating for about eight months.

At first, the explanation of the girl's injuries was a fall at home, but medical staff indicated that her injuries were not consistent with a minor household injury.

Investigators said that Velazquez-Orjeda had entered the child's bedroom, locked the door and remained inside for 30 minutes.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Follow him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lehigh Acres man found not guilty in 2020 aggravated child abuse death