Babysitter gets probation after pleading no contest in death of girl she was caring for

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 30, 2013 - 8:31 pm EDT

FRESNO, California — A Northern California woman will be on probation for three years after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a 17-month-old girl she was babysitting.

The Fresno Bee (http://bit.ly/11VWRk7 ) reports Megan Martzen was sentenced Tuesday after entering the no contest plea as part of a plea deal last month.

Prosecutors had argued that Martzen had caused the death of Ella VanLeeuwen in Feb. 2009, but Martzen had claimed that the girl fell off a bed

PHOTO: Megan Martzen stands alongside her attorney and supporters as they talk to the media outside Fresno County court Tuesday, April 30, 2013 in downtown Fresno, Calif. Martzen was handed 3-years probation in the death of 17-month old Ella VanLeeuwen after Martzen pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora) LOCAL PRINT OUT (VISALIA TIMES-DELTA, REEDY EXPONENT, KINGBURG RECORDER, SELMA ENTERPRISE, HANFORD SENTINEL, PORTERVILLE RECORDER, MADERA TRIBUNE, THE BUSINESS JOURANL FRENSO); LOCAL TV OUT (KSEE24, KFSN30, KGE47, KMPH26)

Megan Martzen stands alongside her attorney and supporters as they talk to the media outside Fresno County court Tuesday, April 30, 2013 in downtown Fresno, Calif. Martzen was handed 3-years probation in the death of 17-month old Ella VanLeeuwen after Martzen pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Eric Paul Zamora) LOCAL PRINT OUT (VISALIA TIMES-DELTA, REEDY EXPONENT, KINGBURG RECORDER, SELMA ENTERPRISE, HANFORD SENTINEL, PORTERVILLE RECORDER, MADERA TRIBUNE, THE BUSINESS JOURANL FRENSO); LOCAL TV OUT (KSEE24, KFSN30, KGE47, KMPH26)

The Bee says as part of the deal, Martzen avoided a second trial.

The first trial of the 22-year-old Reedley woman ended in a mistrial in February when Fresno County jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on murder and child abuse charges.

In addition to the probation sentence, Martzen will was ordered to pay restitution and perform 250 hours of community service

Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com

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