The mother of murdered toddler Cyrus Belt entered a not-guilty plea to a robbery charge yesterday, hours before her son's accused killer was convicted.

Nancy Chanco allegedly helped rob Troy Carvalho of $7,000 on Nov. 11 while she was in his car at the intersection of Auloa Street and Kalaniana'ole Highway, according to a police report.

Carvalho told police that while he was in his car with Chanco, a white Nissan stopped in front of him and two men emerged from it.

As one of the men began to argue with Carvalho and punched him in the face, Carvalho "felt the hands of his passenger Chanco start to grab at his pockets and remove his money," according to a police affidavit.

Chanco "removed $7,000 from his pocket without permission," the affidavit said.

She then fled with the men in the Nissan, according to police.

Prosecutors said Carvalho's cash came from an insurance settlement.

Chanco was arrested by police Nov. 23.

Circuit Judge Richard Perkins set Chanco's bail at $25,000.

Chanco's 23-month-old son was killed Jan. 17, 2008, when Matthew Higa threw the boy from a freeway overpass into the path of oncoming traffic below.

Yesterday, Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario found Higa guilty in Cyrus' death.

During Higa's non-jury trial, Chanco testified that she was not at home the morning of her son's death.

She said she was at a Downtown illegal gaming parlor, smoking crystal methamphetamine with Shelton Higa, Matthew Higa's father.

The Higas were upstairs neighbors of Chanco and her son and boyfriend in an 'Iolani Avenue apartment building.