Hawaii Man Convicted for Throwing Baby Cyrus Belt Off Bridge
Photo: Cyrus Belt.
Matthew Higa will be sentenced to life in prison. The prosecutor will ask that he has no chance of parole.
On Jan. 17, 2008, Cyrus was thrown off a bridge and onto the H-1 Freeway three stories down. A delivery truck then ran over him.
Photo: Maatthew Higa.
At trial, witnesses testified the falling toddler looked like a lifeless doll. The defense argued that's because the boy was already dead at the hands of someone else.
City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle said the child's death and Higa's conviction shows yet again how destructive crystal methamphetamine can be.
"It destroyed the lives of everybody who was surrounding the child," he said. "And now it's destroyed the defendant's life as well."
Cyrus' mother, Nancy Chanco, testified at trial that she left him with his father and 24-year-old Higa and went to illegally gamble and smoke meth.
Higa's attorneys tried to argue that he was mentally incapacitated because he was high on meth but a state law prohibited that defense.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
VIDEO COURTESY OF KGMB