Fresno jury deliberates in toddler murder trial

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A jury is now deciding whether a Fresno man is responsible for the beating death of his girlfriend's 23-month-old son in late 2011.

An autopsy showed Syre Bridges had five broken ribs and was so terribly injured that even his internal organs were black and blue. Prosecutors say Xavier Hawkins is the only one who could be responsible for the child's death. Officials with the coroner's office say he died within an hour of a severe beating. The boy's mother was out running errands at the time, but defense attorneys say she was an unfit mom with a heavy hand, who is the real one to blame.

The prosecutor and defense attorney say Xavier Hawkins was like a father to Syre Bridges. On the stand, Hawkins even said he considered the boy his stepson. But in November of 2011, Hawkins admitted he was smoking pot and playing video games on his Xbox, and he testified he was ignoring his babysitting duties. But the prosecutor says he was hands on, in the worst way.

"Obviously when a 23-month-old little boy has five broken ribs, and a torn liver, and a torn mesentery, torn blood supply to his intestines, he is going to die," said Deputy District Attorney Lara Clinton.

Hawkins' attorney says another suspect was dismissed even before evidence was collected inside the two-story apartment. Attorney Scott Baly says Syre's mother also regularly hit the boy as a form of discipline, but was overlooked by investigators from the start.

"When the first police officer arrived at the apartment that day, he was looking for Xavier already and he ignored the mother at the scene," said Baly.

The prosecutor told jurors Emiley Bridges, Syre's mother, was no prize-winning mom. On the stand, Emiley admitted the day her son died, she was shoplifting at Walmart and taking cash from her welfare money to buy meth. But based on a timeline supported by a forensic examination of Syre, when he was fatally hurt, his mother was on a city bus on her way to Walmart.

But Hawkins' attorney says she caused the fatal injuries and then left, leaving Hawkins to find the child lifeless on the couch.

Jurors will resume deliberations on Monday. If Hawkins is found guilty, he could spend 25 years to life in prison.