"People don't know my brother. He's not a monster," Melissa Nunez told KFOX as she cried outside of the courtroom.

The jury convicted Nunez of murdering his 4-year-old son, Manuel "Little Manny" Nunez, Jr.

Feb. 6, 2007, is a day that will mark the Nunez family forever. Nunez lost control of his SUV on Alameda Avenue near Paisano Drive shortly before 4 p.m. that day. "Little Manny" was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

El Paso police found Nunez's blood alcohol level at .28, which is three times the legal limit, .08. Investigators determined Nunez had been going 71 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Nunez has spent the last year and a half at the El Paso County Jail.

"He hasn't been here for holidays ... (it makes me) really sad," said Abigail Nunez, his 13-year-old daughter. She became teary-eyed as she shared a different side of her father.

"He's a very good father. He's fun, active, has a good personality..." she said.

"He loved his children. He was an excellent father," said Nunez.

In a bold move, Nunez took the stand Tuesday. He told the jury "Me and Manny were inseparable," he told the jury.

Nunez didn't hold back during his testimony. He told jurors he had been taking strong medication for a recent back surgery and that day had consumed the equivalent of seven beers to ease his pain.

When the prosecution asked, "What happened was your fault?" he responded, "Yes, sir."

Now that the guilty verdict's in, it will be up to the jury to decide Nunez's sentence. However, the family feels he's been paying for what he did since Feb. 6, 2007.

"My brother has to live with his punishment every single day. A punishment that anyone else puts on him can't compare to the punishment that he puts on himself, knowing that he did what he did," said Melissa.

The punishment trial is set to continue Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in the 168th District Court.