MILWAUKEE— A man from Milwaukee has pleaded guilty in the death of 5-year-old Prince McCree, whose death sparked statewide outrage.
Erik Mendoza, now 18, but 15 at the time of the crime, entered guilty pleas to:
- First-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime
- Hiding a corpse as a party to a crime
- Three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety while armed with a dangerous weapon
Mendoza appeared in court where Judge Laura Gramling Perez accepted the pleas, while going over the conditions with him and his attorney.
Another defendant, David Pietura, is already serving life in prison after pleading guilty to the same case last year.
The state is recommending Mendoza serve life in prison, with no eligibility for release for 50 years. The maximum sentences for the other counts would run consecutive to each other but concurrent with the life sentence.
Mendoza remains in custody, and Judge Gramling Perez has scheduled sentencing for June 5 at 2 p.m. Pleading guilty to first-degree intentional homicide, means Mendoza will be required to serve a life sentence. Family members, the defense, and the public will have an opportunity to make statements at the hearing.
Prince McCree was reported missing October of 2023. His body was later found in a dumpster. Public outrage over the lack of an Amber Alert led lawmakers to pass the Prince Act, expanding missing-child alerts in Wisconsin even when there is no suspect or vehicle description.
