A man who broke his infant son’s femur and then left it untreated for four days was sentenced Monday to 2-5 years in prison.

Pablo Ricardo Perez, 29, pleaded guilty to child abuse with substantial bodily harm in July.

“I hurt my son, and it’s something I can’t take back,” Perez said on Monday before his sentencing about an act his own attorney called “terrible.”

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Perez was arrested on March 18 after he brought the baby to Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe.

He told investigators he grabbed the baby’s legs and pushed down, and that he heard a snap. The child was taken to the University of California Davis for treatment, and has delayed motor skills, according to prosecutors.

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While both the defense and prosecution agreed Perez should receive probation, they differed on the underlying sentence with prosecutor Patrick Ferguson arguing for up to eight years on condition Perez spend two months in jail.

“We want him to jump through every hoop to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” Ferguson said.

District Judge Tom Gregory read through the letters of support written for Perez before deciding to send him to prison.

“I weighed and considered the lack of criminal history, and how you’ve handled yourself through the proceedings,” Gregory said. “The recommendations have tempered the court’s decision.”

However, Gregory said the case was one of violence against a child.

“The victim had no ability to defend himself,” Gregory said. “You were taking care of the child while your wife was sick, and there was a lack of sleep and a lot of frustration.”

Gregory said he read the statements Perez offered that differed over the course of the proceedings.

He said Perez lied and downplayed the circumstances, therefore was not going to receive probation.

Perez was given credit for two days time served.