A 26-year-old Santa Fe man will spend the next 4 1/2 years on probation after pleading guilty Thursday to beating his pregnant wife and not allowing her to leave their home last month.

Steve Romero, who was originally charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery on a household member, intimidation of a witness and interference with communications, faced up to 24 years in prison. Instead he received "an extremely favorable plea" because his wife wanted him out of jail and helping to support their two other children, prosecutor Cynthia Hill said.

State District Judge Michael Vigil questioned Romero's wife Thursday in court, who confirmed that she agreed with the plea. She also assured the judge she would report any future abuse and said she and Romero were going through counseling to try to reconcile their relationship.

"You're very fortunate to have a spouse here who's still willing to give you an opportunity to prove you've learned something from this," Vigil told Romero, who declined to address the court.

Romero's wife told police that she woke Romero from an alcohol-induced sleep on June 8 so he could watch their 4-year-old and 6-year-old sons because she didn't feel well and needed to go to the hospital emergency room. She was three months pregnant at the time.

However, Romero became upset and left the residence, police have said. His wife drove the two boys to her parents' house in Pecos, then returned home.

A highly intoxicated Romero returned home about 2:30 a.m. while the woman was asleep, turned on the lights, pulled the blankets off her and began yelling at her, police have said. Romero told his wife to get up but she refused. He then punched her several times in the face, including one blow that knocked her off the bed and left her stunned on the floor, police have said.

Romero pulled her back on to the bed by her hair, then repeatedly punched her, threw her to the floor and broke her cell phone when she threatened to call 911. Romero told her he was going to kill her. After he left the room for a moment, his wife tried to climb out the window but he came back and caught her and dragged her back into the room, police have said.

He later choked her and beat her in the bathroom after she experienced severe abdominal pain, police have said.

Romero dropped his wife off at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and warned her not to tell hospital personnel or police what happened or he'd kill her. Romero then fled. His wife suffered facial contusions, black eyes, strangulation marks on her neck, bruising on her face, neck, arms and head and had hair torn from her head.

Vigil, who ordered Romero to attend domestic violence counseling, also warned him to leave if the situation ever starts to get out of control.

"You get as far from that situation as you can," the judge said.

Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.