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Posted: Monday, February 11th, 2013 9:11 AM HST

Man sentenced in infant’s death

By Ken Hupp - 67AM KPUA News

A Big Island man has been sentenced to a year in jail after admitting to shaking his two-month old son, resulting in the infant’s death ten years ago. Gilbert G. Dancel Junior pleaded guilty last month to a reduced charge of second degree assault for the death of Kaikela Medeiros-Dancel, who lived in Kahuku in March, 2003. Dancel said at Friday’s sentencing that he felt horrible for what he did, while the child’s mother said at the sentencing hearing that Dancel deserved time behind bars. In addition to a year in jail, Kona Circuit Judge Ron Ibarra also sentenced Dancel to five years probation. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kauanoe Jackson said prosecutors agreed to the plea deal because of a “high probability” the case would be dismissed due to the length of time between the incident and indictment and destruction of evidence.