MIDDLETOWN — Tony Moreno was found guilty of killing his 7-month-old son by throwing him off a bridge. The verdict came down early Wednesday afternoon after the jury deliberated for a second day. He was found guilty of risk of injury to a minor, as well as murder.
Jurors first requested Wednesday morning to hear the testimony of a police officer who first responded to the bridge, and to hear Moreno’s testimony from day five of the trial, before returning to their deliberations. That process finished just after 11 a.m.
The jury heard closing arguments Tuesday and deliberated for a little over three hours before being dismissed for the night.
Moreno's sentencing is slated for Thursday, May 18.
Moreno was charged with murder in the July 2015 death of his son, Aaden. During his closing arguments, Middlesex State's Attorney Peter McShane said Moreno threw Aaden off the 90-foot-high Arrigoni Bridge over the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland. Moreno then jumped himself but survived.
"Tony Moreno was on the bridge that night and he had the intent to commit murder and that's just what he did. The jury did the right thing," said McShane outside of court Wednesday.
McShane and Senior Assistant State's Attorney Gene Calistro also commended the Middletown Police Department for their work in this case from beginning to end.
"That made our jobs as prosecutors much easier and we appreciate it. It was all for Aaden," said Calistro.
Moreno's defense attorney Norm Pattis argued throughout the trial the jury should find Moreno innocent because he did not intentionally kill his son. Moreno testified that Aaden accidentally slipped out of his arms and fell off the bridge. He said he didn't intend to harm the boy.
"It's clear the jury did not credit what Mr. Moreno had to say. I thought he was extremely courageous and I'm proud of this testimony," said Pattis after the verdict was read.
He added he intends to appeal.
"It's a source of disappointment that the jury found what it did, but we go on to the next step," he said.
Moreno's family members did not wish to comment outside of court, and neither did Aaden's mother, Adrianne Oyola, who testified during the trial.
McShane called her "one of the strongest women I've ever met in my life" and told reporters how she reacted after the verdict.
McShane said, "She wanted to tell you that this is the first time since she received that text at 11:45 that said 'He's dead' that she's been able to breathe. She feels like a huge weight has been lifted off her and as a result, she can now at this point go on with her life. But from the moment she received those texts until today the poor girl has just been suffering and suffering and hopefully this is the closure that she and her family needs and will get."