The mother of his baby, Elizabeth Ibarra, stood outside the courtroom with tears streaming down her face and said Mendoza "got exactly what he deserved."

Mendoza was accused of head-butting the baby while Ibarra was working. The baby was declared dead the next day, Oct. 7, 2005.

Defense lawyer Michael Gross had suggested to jurors that they look to Ibarra instead of his client, who also had a job and spent less time with the infant than she did.

Ibarra said she had no idea that her boyfriend had been abusing the infant until it was too late.

"All these lies he was telling," she said. "'The baby's gonna be OK. The baby hit his head.'"

Prosecutor Christopher Ramos had emphasized in his opening statement to jurors that medical evidence would show the infant had been abused for months, with multiple broken limbs and ribs.

Gross had no comment about the sudden change of direction, but prosecutors said they suspected that contradictions in Mendoza's statement to police that were presented to jurors Wednesday might have played a role.

"We didn't even get to the part where he actually confessed," said prosecutor Kirsta Melton. That was set to happen Thursday.

The defendant's decision may also have been shaped by Wednesday's verdict in another court, Melton said.

Jose Antonio Romero Jr. was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the serious bodily injury that killed his 2-month-old son.

"In theory, that verdict yesterday probably helped," she said. "Another young male defendant that killed his baby."

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