Published Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:03 AM

East Texan pleads guilty over child's electric fence death

Associated Press

MARSHALL, Texas -- An Elysian Fields man must serve 21 months in state jail over the 2008 electric fence-related death of a neighbor's child.

Marcos Juares Gonzales, 50, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.

Gonzales, who apologized Monday in court, faced trial over the Dec. 26 death of 6-year-old Sierra Rein Clark.

The Marshall News-Messenger reported Tuesday that the girl lived with her mother and stepfather.

Brenda Mauldin Slack said her daughter was playing with her older brothers when the boys ran inside to say the girl fell onto the electric fence.

Defense attorney Kent Phillips said the fence "was in a wet and muddy area (and) the breaker didn't pop."

Gonzales testified the fence was meant to keep other animals away from his rabbits and chickens.

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