Byron Syvinski Trial Begins: Accused Bike Thief and Beating Girl

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — In Anchorage Superior Court Thursday, the trial of Byron Syvinski began – he’s accused of beating up a 7-year-old girl and taking her bike and assaulting his neighbor in midtown last summer.

Opening statements were made by state prosecutors and the defense and it was also the first time the 911 call made on June 5, 2011 was played in court.

“Andrea Dunwoody experienced every mother's worst nightmare when her 7 year old daughter Am Marie Martin was severely beaten by the defendant Byron Syvinski,” Assistant District Attorney Heather Nobrega said.

Public Defender Krista Maciolek, who is representing Syvinski, said “I need to point out, did you notice that the state appealed to your emotions right to the start.”

Syvinski is accused of several counts that includes robbery, and multiple assaults that the state says were to injure a child, to cause injury with a weapon which they say was his hands, and to cause reckless injury.

The defense said her client is only guilty of two counts, assaulting Am Marie Martin and Syvinksi’s neighbor Robert Del Rio, and the rest of the charges are the state's job to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We are not going to deny that it was reckless behavior in this way, we are not going to deny that it was a serious case, we do deny that there was intentional behavior in this case.” Maciolek said.

Six of Syvinski’s charges are felonies and one is a misdemeanor.

The state called its first witnesses to the stand, including the 911 dispatcher, who took the initial call made by Angeline Delreal – the wife of Robert Del Rio.

The 911 call lasted for fifteen minutes that state attorneys described as chaos and pain that no parent wants to hear.

After the jury heard the 911 call, Judge Jack Smith recessed the trial until Monday morning.