A Spring Valley woman was sentenced to nine months in prison for the death of her 1-year-old son.

Marie Dorleus pleaded guilty to the crime in October, knocking her manslaughter charge down to criminally negligent homicide after her 1-year-old suffocated from being pinned between a box spring and a wall.

The boy and his two other siblings – ages 2 and 6 - were home alone for over four hours - something the prosecutor says was a regular occurrence.

The mother broke down in court Wednesday as she spoke to the judge about the death of her son, Clifford.

"Your honor, there's not a word in the English language that could define the loss of a child to a parent," said Dorleus. "He was my heart, that was my warrior, that was my fighter."

More than 55 letters from the community were submitted to court on her behalf, including one from her 6-year-old daughter, and were read before the judge.

Dorleus has already served six months, and her sentencing is being reduced even further because of good behavior. Her attorney tells News 12 she will be out by the weekend.