An appellate court has reversed the conviction of a Joliet man who was sentenced to 34 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of killing an 8-month-old baby.

The 3rd District Appellate Court issued an order on Monday reversing the conviction of Santos Loza Jr., 38, and set a new trial because Will County Judge Sarah Jones improperly allowed recorded police interrogations of Loza to be shown to the jury at his trial.

In 2013, a jury found Loza guilty of beating his girlfriend’s infant son, Kevion Bender, to death at his Joliet home Oct. 26, 2008. Jones, however, ordered another trial after finding Loza’s attorneys were improperly restricted during the trial from asking the victim’s mother about her relationship with Loza.

The second trial was held in 2015 and Loza was again found guilty of killing Bender.

The appellate court’s decision, however, stated that recordings of police interrogations of Loza were improperly introduced to the jury in the 2015 trial because he did not make any incriminating statements in those recordings and he consistently denied he harmed Bender.

“While the officers’ conduct was appropriate for interrogation, it was not something to which the jury should be exposed, especially when there was a much less prejudicial option available to the state,” the appellate court said.

Adam Altman, one of Loza’s attorneys, said he was happy with the appellate court’s decision.

“We’re not necessarily surprised though because we thought there was a fundamental unfairness in the evidence that the prosecution presented,” Altman said.

Loza’s attorney Joe “Shark” Lopez said he was “extremely happy” with the decision.

In a statement, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said his officer will “move forward with the prosecution of this case” as soon as the appellate court issues its mandate.