A man convicted of killing a baby after stealing a car in Jilin province was sentenced to death on Monday, China Central Television reported.

Thousands of people gather in a square in Changchun city, Jilin province, on Tuesday night to mourn the case of a baby who was murdered by a thief who found the boy sleeping in a car he had stolen. [Photo by Fang Xinwu/Asianewsphoto]

The Intermediate People's Court in Changchun, capital city of the province, setenced 48-year-old Zhou Xijun to death, while asking him to pay a 50,000 yuan ($8,710) fine and about 18,000 yuan in compensation to the victim's family, the report said.

Zhou said he will appeal to the higher court, the report added.

Zhou, a native of neighboring Gongzhuling, was accused of strangling 2-month-old Xu Haobo in March after he found the boy in the back seat of a Toyota RAV4 he stole in Changchun.

The baby's father said he left his son wrapped in a pink blanket in the vehicle outside his store.

The case sparked a heated discussion online, and thousands of residents gathered in a square of the city to mourn the baby's death.