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Teenager Survives Being Run Over In Cayo; Points Finger At Hon. Mahmoud
posted (February 11, 2013)
Hon. Mark King was the focus of the news all of last week for the incident in the Corozal Free Zone, and tonight, another first term member of the House of Representatives is trying to defend his reputation after a family in Cayo accused him of negligent behavior. Joseph Mahmud, the PUP Area Representative Cayo North, denies any involvement in an incident that happened on his family's property in the Cayo District - but the family of the victim maintains that he was there. Here's the story:..

Daniel Ortiz reporting
This private property belongs to the Log Cab Inn on the Benque Viejo Road. It was also the scene of an incident in which a young man was run over by a gray Isuzu pickup.

The tire tracks on the well-kept lawn tells the story of a vehicle speeding in several directions, as if in pursuit. 17 year old Michael Valdez is very lucky and fortunate to be in good enough health to be able to speak to us.

This photograph was taken when the vehicle's front wheel was still pinning him down on the ground. After chasing him around, Valdez was finally caught by the vehicle here in the bushes. Today he told us that there was no accident; the driver of the vehicle meant to run him over.

Michael Valdez - Was Knocked Down
"I was attacked by two men in a grey and blue pickup. Actually I was going from a wedding because it was my cousin wedding, there was a fight and I was going home. My aunt left me half way outside to the walkway. I went there to catch a ride. I had asked some men who were passing for a ride, but it looks like they wanted to fight so I went towards the orchard. When coming out back I saw this pick-up coming and it was coming straight into me. What I did was I ran into the bush thinking that they will not catch me. They still followed me until I drop, I trip down and got knockout because I drop on my head. Then suddenly I felt a car ran over me."

While Valdez was under the vehicle, his aunt came to his rescue, and saw the driver and the owner of the vehicle.

Augustina Molina - Aunt of the Victim
"When I arrive at the scene he was under a silver pickup, underneath the tire and Berry and Mahmud was standing right there watching him. I ask them to please help me move the vehicle - lift it up and Mr. Berry said leave it there because it is a property. I start cursing the two of them in their faces and then afterwards Pandy reach and he started to take pictures. they told him not to take any pictures here. I told Pandy to continue to take pictures. Afterwards my two brothers-in-law arrive and told them to try lift up this vehicle so we can pull him from under there. I ask Michael what happened and he said that they want to kill him."

Michael Valdez - Was Knocked Down
"They were asking me questions and I heard my aunt yelling for me and I yelled out that I was under the car. I told her that these are the two who did it so please don't let them go anywhere. After that my aunt was asking them to move the car."

Daniel Ortiz
"Who are these two men that were in the vehicle? Can you identify them by face and name?"

Michael Valdez - Was Knocked Down
"Desmond Berry and I don't really remember the other one name, but he is a politician. After that my aunt and four others lift up the car and then they took me out. They ran over me because they meant it. It's not by accident because they ran me down."

Augustina Molina - Aunt of the Victim
"They went under a tree that was dark until the police reach. The police ask me if I knew who did it and I told them yes, see them right there, Mr. Mahmud and Berry."

According Valdez, instead of helping him, the men started to question him:

Michael Valdez - Was Knocked Down
"They were asking me personal questions like what I was doing here and what I was doing for Montero, what I was doing for the government, if I was spying on them and where my friend went with the gun because I have a friend who works with me and Mr. Mike because we are DJs. I don't know if they probably feel like I was spying on them or want to do them something. They ask me about a gun, I told them to please let me go because I don't know anything about that, I just work for the man. I couldn't take the pain from the car. I felt like I was going to burst open. I felt like I was going to die."

Augustina Molina - Aunt of the Victim
"They were questioning him about Montero and Michael Salazar. I ask him like what and he said that they think that he spying on the place, not knowing that that it's his family wedding we were at."

And so while the family maintains that Valdez was legitimately on the property as a guest at the wedding, no explanation was forthcoming from those his aunt accuses.

We spoke to several family members of Desmond Berry, to give him a proper chance to respond to the allegations. According to them, he's gone into hiding, and no one has been able to contact him since this morning.

Police have also chosen not to give any comment other than saying that they are investigating.

Another person we could not speak to was PUP Cayo North Representative Joseph Mahmoud. Allegations were made against him and we did try and interview him, but were told that at this time he would only be issuing a statement. The strong, accusatory statement describes the allegations as "FALSE and completely ludicrous." It continues, quote, "I am disappointed that certain persons purporting to represent credible media houses continue to circulate that photo and erroneous information on the social media network and otherwise. I think that doing so without even an attempt to learn the truth or do any sort of investigation is irresponsible journalism." That chiding refers to a posting by LOVE FM's Patrick Jones yesterday.

And speaking in more general terms about the incident itself, Mahmoud's statement says, quote, "I was not…present on the scene nor was I in the said vehicle. The resort operated by my family was the venue for a private function and during that event a fight occurred, which was serious enough that Police had to be called in to intervene."

It refers to political mischief and says quote, "The media has bought into that mischief without bothering to do an investigation of their own to verify the facts." The statement mentions nothing of the ownership of the vehicle in the accident or whether Mahmud did show up and see the young man under the vehicle - and when we tried the contact number listed on the press release it just rang off the hook.

The family told us also they have made a report at the San Ignacio Police Station in which they gave the exact same information which they relayed to us. The inert Police Press Office has not released any information.

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