CROWN POINT | Near the conclusion of a 2 1/2-hour hearing Thursday, Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. imposed a sentence of life without possibility of parole on Engelica Castillo, 20, for the murder of her cousin, 2-year-old Jada Justice.

In August, the Hobart woman was convicted of murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing in the case. A jury determined a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for the murder. She also was given a five-year sentence for remaining offenses.

Stefaniak rejected most mitigating factors presented by Castillo's attorneys, which had included allegations of sexual assault against her, lack of family support and drug abuse.

Stefaniak said he found testimony by Castillo's co-defendant, Timothy Tkachik, to be credible and the jury's recommendation of life without parole appropriate.

Tkachik, 25, Castillo's former boyfriend, had struck a plea deal with prosecutors and testified against Castillo in the case. He faces a sentence of between 20 and 50 years.

Much of the hearing was taken up with Stefaniak hearing Castillo's version of events from which she has not veered.

Castillo told the court she feared Tkachik, a drug dealer, and what he might do to her family.

Castillo had testified at trial it was Tkachik who caused the child to hit her head.

Stefaniak, however, questioned why she had not acted to get the 2-year-old medical attention during the numerous opportunities she had.

Earlier in the hearing, Castillo had objected to being characterized as the one who had struck the fatal blow to the child, whose body was later burnt during a botched cremation and then encased in a block of concrete.

"But I didn't," Castillo cried.

As he had during frequent interruptions by Castillo at trial, Stefaniak warned her to keep quiet or he would have duct tape placed over her mouth.

Stefaniak later appeared to be trying to elicit some remorse or accountability from Castillo, who denied ever hitting a child and, in turn, criticized the unfairness of Tkachik's plea bargain.

Exasperated with Castillo's rambling explanations, Stefaniak asked, "Do you understand the magnitude of what's going on here?"

The lone victim-impact statement was given by Melissa Swiontek, Castillo's cousin and Jada's mother.

"She trusted you," Swiontek said of Jada. "We trusted you."

Swiontek said had Tkachik not revealed the location of Jada's body, she would have been left wondering year after year.

Citing the family members attending the hearing, Swiontek denied Castillo had been without family support and chided Castillo for her lack of remorse.

"You can't say you're sorry," Swiontek told Castillo.