Former Tinker airman gets 80 years in prison for beating child

Before sentencing Gabriel Solis, Truong denied a request by his attorney to withdraw the Alford plea he entered in September on a child abuse charge.

Under an Alford plea, a defendant accepts a sentence for a crime while still asserting innocence. Solis admitted in court papers that sufficient evidence existed for a jury to convict him.

Defense attorney Michael McBride said Solis followed advice from a prior attorney “he was reluctant to follow” when he entered his plea.

Prosecutors told the judge Solis had what amounted to “buyer's remorse” after learning Truong sentenced Elsa Solis to 35 years in prison.

McBride said he will appeal the sentence and the judge's decision not to let Solis withdraw the plea and go to trial.

Boy's improvement

Eyvette Carbajal, the child's mother, placed her son in the care of Gabriel and Elsa Solis and made them legal guardians before she left the base in Hawaii where she and Gabriel Solis had been stationed.

Carbajal, 23, is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Wash., where she works as a police officer. She said this month her son, who is nearly 3, is “doing fantastic” and shows no lingering physical effects from his injuries.