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They call him Payaso, this stern-faced man with neck tattoos and short-cropped black hair. It's his nickname. It means "clown" in Spanish.
But there was nothing funny Friday as Carlos Ortiz, 33, was sentenced to jail for beating his wife in front of the couple's two children.
Ortiz, who has been in custody since his January arrest, pleaded guilty in April to two third-degree felony charges: aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and domestic violence in the presence of a child. Each could have landed him in prison for up to five years.
But in a deal with prosecutors, Ortiz was spared any time in prison in exchange for a year in jail and three years on probation.
Third District Judge Deno Himonas gave Ortiz credit for the time he's already served — 206 days — and will serve the additional 129 days effective immediately.
Ortiz and his wife, Deysy Beltran, got into a fight on Dec. 26, 2012, that turned violent when the man began to punch and kick her, according to court documents. He then brought their 11- and 9-year-old children into the room and "made them watch as he beat their mother," the documents state.
Later, one of the children told police this happened often. And that "sometimes [Ortiz] laughs" as he hits their mother, according to charging documents.
Beltran suffered serious injuries in the assault. She told Ortiz she needed to go to the hospital, charges state, but he refused to let her leave the house for a week.
On Jan. 2, Beltran ran to her brother's house for help while Ortiz was asleep.
Ortiz was originally charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony; and misdemeanor damage to a phone.
As part of the terms of his plea deal, Ortiz was ordered to stay away from his wife and undergo counseling and a substance abuse treatment program.
If he violates any of these terms, or gets arrested while on probation, he could serve additional time behind bars.