Fresno man accused of killing toddler found guilty by jury
Xander's family told Action News on Friday that they are glad the trial is over.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno man accused of killing a toddler was found guilty on two counts Friday morning.
Aaron Moton is now a convicted murderer for the death of baby Xander Villalobos.
Xander died in October of 2021, three days shy of his third birthday. He was found limp at the Fresno apartment his mom, Nikkey Rojas, shared with Moton.
The coroner says he suffered a lacerated liver and injuries to his spinal cord.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Moton was responsible.
The 12-person jury agreed.
"Juror number one, is that your true and correct verdict?" Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin asked. "Yes," the jury and all others replied.
The guilty verdicts came just days after the 24-year-old took the stand. Moton was the only witness in his murder trial.
On the stand, Moton told the jury that he tried to help baby Xander after he found him "limp" on the couch. Moton said he pumped on the baby's chest and breathed in his mouth.
When that did not work, Moton said he shook the baby.
"You had not told anybody about the shaking?" Senior Deputy District Attorney Amy Cobb asked Moton on Tuesday. "Correct," Moton said.
"Because you thought you might have killed him?" Cobb pressed. "Correct," Moton said.
That testimony drew gasps from the courtroom gallery in what was an emotional and tense trial.
Xander's family told Action News Friday they are glad it is over.
"I can grieve properly now that my son got justice," Rojas, Xander's mother, told Action News.
"My grandson can finally rest in peace now that this is all laid to rest," Christina Acosta, the boy's paternal grandmother, added. "Thank God."
But the guilty verdicts did not come easy.
One juror, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Action News about the jury room deliberations.
The juror said the verdict was a "tough decision" and that there were two undecided jurors up until just 30 minutes before they returned the guilty verdicts.
She said the jury ultimately "did what was right" and "followed the rules."
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