Christian Moniz Rabino has entered an Alford plea to one count of voluntary manslaughter in the death of toddler Kai Tesoro, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction.
The case stems from a June 1, 2024 incident, when officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting that a toddler was not breathing, according to FOX5 Vegas. Rabino, who was caring for Kai at the time, allegedly became frustrated that the child could not walk on his own and forced his feet onto the floor, breaking both of the boy’s legs. Investigators also allege Rabino violently shook the child on at least one occasion because he was crying.
Kai was taken to the pediatric emergency room at Summerlin Hospital, where doctors observed injuries that did not align with the initial claim from the child’s mother that he had fallen from a bed.
Medical staff documented head bruising, multiple brain bleeds consistent with non-accidental trauma, and fractures that required significant force, describing the case as among the most severe instances of abuse they had encountered.
The toddler was placed on life support but died from his injuries on June 6, 2024. Following his death, his organs were donated.
Rabino was originally charged with first-degree murder and child abuse but agreed to the plea deal amid concerns from prosecutors about the risks of going to trial.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti said the case depended largely on caregiver statements and lacked eyewitness testimony, while the mother’s shifting accounts presented additional challenges.
“There is, for both sides, a huge risk of going to trial — for the defendant, who could spend the rest of his life in prison, but also for the state that an individual who we believe killed a child walks out with no ramifications whatsoever,” Rinetti said.
