An Air Force sergeant in New Mexico has pleaded guilty to negligent child abuse in the death of his infant daughter.
Prosecutors say 29-year-old Peter John Zayas entered his plea Wednesday in a federal court in Las Cruces.
He's been in federal custody since his April 2012 arrest.
Zayas' sentencing hearing hasn't been set yet, but prosecutors say he could be facing up to 18 years in prison.
Zayas and his wife were arrested by the FBI for allegedly causing the death of their 2-month-old child in October 2007.
At the time, Zayas was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo.
In his plea agreement, Zayas acknowledged that his daughter sustained fractures to her skull, ribs and other parts of her body as a result of his negligence.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.