In an unsettling conclusion to a tragic case, a 29-year-old man who confessed to fatally assaulting his girlfriend’s 17-month-old son will avoid prison time, a decision that has left many, including the judge and the victim’s family, in disbelief. The incident, described by the medical examiner as one of the most horrific abuse cases witnessed, has sparked outrage following the plea deal.

Christian Moniz Rabino was sentenced to up to five years of probation by Nevada 8th District Judge Jacqueline Bluth after entering an Alford plea for voluntary manslaughter in the death of young Kai Tesoro. This plea, while similar to a guilty plea, allows Rabino to assert his innocence while acknowledging that sufficient evidence exists for a conviction. Although the charge carries a potential sentence of one to ten years, the sentence was suspended in accordance with the agreement made with prosecutors.

As part of his probation terms, Rabino is required to complete a six-week anger management program, engage in community service, and adhere to a 10 p.m. curfew, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Additionally, he is barred from any contact with minors, except for his own son.

The plea deal has sparked frustration, particularly because prosecutors cited evidentiary challenges that could have resulted in Rabino evading punishment altogether. “The state believed it had some evidentiary issues if we had gone to trial,” explained Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti, as reported by local CBS affiliate KLAS. She highlighted the typical absence of eyewitnesses in such cases, which often rely heavily on caregivers for accurate accounts.

Prosecutors reportedly told the court that the lenient deal was necessary due to evidentiary issues that could have resulted in Rabino getting off with no punishment at all.

“The state believed it had some evidentiary issues if we had gone to trial,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti told the court, per local CBS affiliate KLAS. “In these cases, typically there are no eyewitnesses, and so you’re relying upon caregivers to give the most accurate information.”

The state was reportedly concerned with the victim’s mother allegedly changing her story several times, initially claiming her son was injured after suffering a seizure and falling before later blaming Rabino.

“As I told the family, this is a rare negotiation for me as well. I take these cases very, very seriously, but I also have to live with the facts of the case and what I can prove at trial,” Rinetti said, according to the Review-Journal. “And 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.”

Bluth, who previously served as a prosecutor focusing on child-related homicides, similarly expressed her disappointment with the outcome, but warned Rabino what would happen if he stepped out of line during his probation.

“What happened to him should not have happened. I do not like this deal,” she reportedly said, before addressing Rabino directly. “I am going to give you probation like the deal calls for. You will get one shot. You step sideways on this, and I will not bat an eye at sending you away for the maximum.”

As Law&Crime previously reported, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on June 1, 2025, responded to a 911 call regarding a toddler who was not breathing. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located the child — later identified as Kai — and immediately transported him to the Summerlin Pediatrics Emergency Room for treatment.

At the hospital, doctors reportedly found that Kai was suffering from bruising to his head and multiple brain bleeds believed to be caused by “non-accidental trauma,” likely due to violent shaking. One of the doctors told authorities that the abuse was “one of the worst cases he had seen” in his career.

The child had also suffered a broken leg that had likely been caused by “a large amount of force,” the station reported.

According to a report from local Fox affiliate KVVU, Rabino spoke to officers at the hospital, saying that he was watching Kai and decided to call 911 because the boy began having trouble breathing and then stopped breathing. He said that Kai had been sick for the past few days with a fever.

Kai’s mother reportedly told hospital staff that Kai had recently fallen off of the bed. However, medical personnel noted in their report that the boy’s injuries were not consistent with such a fall, per KVVU.

At the hospital on June 1, the child was placed on life support. He succumbed to his injuries and was taken off life support on June 6 and pronounced dead. His organs were donated to help other children in need, his family told news outlets.

KLAS reported that a witness spoke to police and told them Rabino was responsible for Kai’s injuries and that the boy’s mother lied about him falling from the bed. The witness added that Rabino also convinced Kai’s mother that her son did not need to go to the hospital for treatment.

During a subsequent interview, Kai’s mother reportedly admitted that she had seen Rabino physically abuse Kai on at least one occasion.

“(Rabino) became frustrated with (Kai’s) inability to walk on his own and planted (Kai’s) feet first on the floor,” police said, according to reports. The violent outburst resulted in both of Kai’s legs being broken, KVVU reported.

She also allegedly saw Rabino become frustrated with Kai’s crying and violently shake him at least once.