Boyfriend Accused in Horrific Beating Death of 4-year old Boy
Prosecutors: The boy's life was a "living nightmare"

SANTA ANA ( KTLA) -- A man accused of beating and killing his live-in girlfriend's 4-year-old son is on trial for murder in Orange County.

Thursday in court, a prosecutor argued that 29-year-old Alberto Guzman and his girlfriend -- 27-year-old Gabriela Morales -- beat, starved and forced Brandon Morales to sleep on the floor continuously during his short, four years of life.

Deputy District Attorney Larry Yellin told the jury that the two parents acted with a "conscious disregard for human life" and should both be convicted of second-degree murder.

"Brandon's life was a living nightmare... He was unable to defend himself and he had nowhere to turn," Yellin said.

Guzman and Morales face charges of murder, child abuse, assault on a child and inflicting corporal punishment charges, although Morales will be tried separately, at a later date.

Guzman's attorney, Deputy Alternate Defender Laura Jose, argued that while Guzman was not a perfect stepfather, he was not the one who killed the boy and it was really Morales who inflicted the final injuries that resulted in her son's death.

Jose added that Morales confessed to detectives and admitted that she hit Brandon on the day he died and told authorities that she was the one responsible for her son's death.

The case stems from an incident that happened on May 30, 2008 when Morales called 911 from her apartment to report that her son, Brandon -- the youngest of her three children -- was semi-conscious.

According to paramedics, upon arrival, Brandon was found in full cardiac arrest with bruises all over his body and trauma to his head.

The boy later died at a hospital and an autopsy found that the Brandon died of a brain hemorrhage cause by blunt force trauma to the head.

Both Guzman and Morales could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

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