CHANGCHUN - A man who has been sentenced to death for killing a two-month-old baby filed an appeal to a local court in Northeast China's Jilin province on Monday.

Zhou Xijun, 48, was sentenced to death and deprived of his political rights for life for the murder, as well as five years in jail and a fine of 50,000 yuan ($8,150) for stealing the car that contained the baby, according to a verdict announced by the Changchun Intermediate People's Court on May 27.

According to the appeal document filed to the same court, Zhou should be treated more leniently because he surrendered to police and confessed to his crimes. It also said the original verdict did not take into consideration that the murder was a crime of opportunity.

On March 4, Zhou stole an SUV parked by the side of a road in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, and drove it onto a highway.

After finding a baby in the backseat of the vehicle, Zhou strangled the infant and buried him in the snow.

He turned himself in to police one day after massive searches for both the baby and the thief were launched by police and the public.

Zhou was previously detained for ten days in February 2012 for molesting a woman.

Related stories:

Man sentenced to death in baby killing

Family appeals compensation ruling in baby's death

Death for man who stole car, murdered infant