PORTLAND – A Portland woman pleaded guilty Monday to last summer’s stabbing of her best friend’s 15-month-old son and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Christine Courchesne, 27, appeared in Cumberland County Superior Court, where she changed her plea to guilty to aggravated assault and arson. In return, prosecutors dropped a charge of attempted murder.

Investigators said Courchesne stabbed Kayd’n Neves on the morning of July 20 and set a fire in the basement of their apartment building in an attempt to cover up the crime.

The defense previously maintained that Courchesne was innocent.

Kayd’n has recovered from his wounds, which included a punctured diaphragm and lung.