Emotional testimony Wednesday was followed by an 18-year sentence for Robert Danielson, who fatally beat his girlfriend Nicole Medina.

Medina’s two sisters shared tearful statements about how their sibling had a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old who will grow up without their mother. Emily Cole, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case, read a statement from Medina’s mother, who was too distraught to testify during the victim impact portion of the sentencing.

The 26-year-old Medina died from fatal injuries she sustained after Danielson, 31, of Castaic, fought with her outside a Canyon Country Wingstop location, according to officials.

The case’s tragic ending is a cautionary tale for domestic violence cases. Both the victim and the suspect had a history of domestic violence that went unreported to authorities, Cole said, despite the fact that Danielson had a previous conviction for assault with a deadly related to a domestic violence charge from a previous relationship.

“They had a history of domestic violence,” said Cole, after the sentencing. “What also came out in the preliminary hearing is that the family never reported these incidents because the victim did not want to press charges.”

The Santa Clarita Valley Domestic Violence Center is located at 23780 Newhall Ave., in Newhall. The 24-hour hotline is (661) 259-HELP or (661) 259-8175.

Prosecutors initially sought a lengthier sentence for Danielson, who pleaded to additional charges in order to justify the lengthier prison time — a condition of the plea deal, officials said.

From a previous story: Castaic Man Takes Plea Deal To Murder Charge

Danielson was arrested Oct. 24, 2015, by Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputies, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrest records.

Law enforcement officials believe the two began fighting at the Wingstop, and at some point, as the husband and wife were passengers in a car, and Medina was thrown from the vehicle. During the fall is when authorities suspect she received the fatal blow.

There was later a physical confrontation between the two, officials said, and Medina was found unresponsive in her home, along with her two children. She was rushed to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital where officials believe she died from injuries sustained earlier in the day during the confrontation.

Coroner’s officials ruled the cause of death  as a blunt force trauma to the head.

The two were married last June and had two children together, according to  GoFundMe page created by relatives. Medina was known as “Coco” to those who knew her best.

“Coco was the sweetest, most giving individual.  Her smile entered a room before she did, and her laughter filled every moment with joy.  She loved her family and friends, but most of all, her children were her life.  She lived every moment to make them happy.  She was a stay at home mom, dedicating herself to the wellbeing of her babies,” according to the page. “Coco has now joined her father, Nick Medina, in Heaven.  She is survived by her mother, Stacy Curtis, her sisters, Amber Gideon and Desiree Smith, her Uncle, Jerry Curtis, her Grandmother, Jackie Thomson and her two sweet babies, Kayden and Presley.”