Sanford man gets 3 years for assaulting infant twins

ALFRED, Maine - The Sanford man charged with brutally beating his infant twins two years ago was sentenced to at least three years in prison on Monday in York County Superior Court.

Anthony Carpinelli, 23, of Sanford pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal to two counts of aggravated assault. He cannot have contact with his children or their mother as part of the sentence.

The infants, who were born prematurely, were less than 2 months old at the time of the attack.

The mother cried in court and said the children are still recovering from their injuries and that one twin suffers from seizures due to the assault, according to an Associated Press report.

Carpinelli caused the twins to suffer serious head trauma on May 1, 2014, when the twins were in his care, police say.

They were transported to Southern Maine Health Care in Sanford and later taken to Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland, one with serious injuries, the other, the girl, with critical injuries.

According to police, when the mother returned the night of the assault, she found the infants in distress and took them to the hospital. Authorities said the injuries are consistent with being struck and shaken.

Carpinelli was arrested on May 5.