Carlos Tacio Ortiz v. State of Indiana

── Carlos Tacio Ortiz v. State of Indiana ── Case No.: 24A-CR-00025 Court: Indiana Court of Appeals Date: February 13, 2025 Author: Judge Rudolph Pyle County of Origin: Elkhart Category: Criminal Decision: Reversed and Remanded Judge May concurs. Judge Brown dissents On December 7, 2006, twenty-one-year-old Ortiz was taking care of his six-week- old son, J.O. (“J.O.”) while J.O.’s mother was at work. When J.O. began crying, Ortiz picked him up and shook him until he stopped crying. Ortiz then noticed that J.O. had stopped breathing and called for emergency services. J.O. was transported to the hospital, where he died two days later. One week later, the State charged Ortiz with murder. In January 2007, the State filed a request for a sentence of life imprisonment without parole (“LWOP”).