Updated at 3:23 p.m., Thursday, January 24, 2008
Hawaii man indicted in toddler's freeway death
Advertiser Staff
Matthew M. Higa, the man accused of throwing a toddler from an H-1 Freeway overpass last week, was indicted by an O'ahu grand jury today on a single count of murder in the second degree.Because of 23-month-old Cyrus Belt's age, prosecutors sought an enhancement of the charges that could bring a life sentence without the possibility of parole for Higa, rather than life with the possibility of parole.
Higa is an "ice addict" with possible untreated and undiagnosed mental problems, deputy prosecutor Rom Trader said. He declined to detail the mental problems.
Circuit Court Judge Derrick Chan set bail for Higa at $1 million.
"This is a particularly egregious case as we know ... that has clearly devastated the community and gotten everyone's attention," Trader said. "We'll do everything possible to make sure Cyrus Belt's death was not in vain."
