Man sentenced to 37 years to life in fatal stabbing of 3-year-old girl in DTLA factory

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The man accused of fatally stabbing a co-worker's 3-year-old daughter at a downtown Los Angeles garment factory was sentenced Wednesday to 37 years to life in prison.

Ricardo Utuy, 34, was sentenced for the murder of the child in a 2016 attack, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.

Officials said a family member had just dropped off the girl, identified by police as "Baby Ruby," at her mother's work after picking her up from daycare.

The girl was heading toward her father to give him a cookie when her mother saw Utuy following close behind her daughter, according to prosecutors.

"She walked to her daddy, gave (him) that little cookie and that was the last act of her short life," Detective Moses Castillo told the court.

That's when Utuy suddenly stabbed the child multiple times, authorities said. The girl was rushed to an area hospital, where she died.

Utuy initially fled the scene but later turned himself in to police.

Officials said Utuy and the child's mother worked at the same location but had minimal contact with each other. Utuy had only worked at the factory for about three weeks.

Utuy, who also goes by the alias Juan Perez, was also charged with one count of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a woman at another factory in downtown Los Angeles earlier the same year, according to the district attorney's office.