Orange Walk Resident Beaten with Metal Bat, Survives Attack

Diego Mencias

An Orange Walk resident is admitted at the Northern Regional Hospital tonight, after he was struck multiple times to the head and abdomen with a metal bat just after eight o’clock this morning.  The frightening incident took place on Liberty Avenue in Orange Walk Town, in front of a number of residents. Fortunately, Diego Armando Mencias survived the attack.  News Five’s Duane Moody spoke with his cousin, who witnessed the ordeal, and rushed Mencias to the hospital.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It is not clear what exactly triggered the attack, but before eight-thirty this morning, Diego Armando Mencias, was seen running on Liberty Avenue with a vehicle in pursuit. Mencias was seen hurling stones at the vehicle seconds before the driver alighted with a metal bat in his hand and swung repeatedly.  It all unfolded in front of a popular barbershop owned by Errol Perrera, who is also a  cousin of the victim.

Errol Perrera

Errol Perrera, Cousin of Victim

“I come outside and I saw this person who I know, my cousin, running from an attacker. He suddenly stopped and started to throw stone at the vehicle. Then I saw the vehicle did a U-turn and lay-waited him. When he walked towards the vehicle, the person inflicted some wounds with an iron bat that he had.”

Police arrived on the scene shortly after, as a badly injured Mencias laid unconscious and bleeding on the pavement. He was rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital.

Errol Perrera

“The police vehicle is an old police vehicle; the pan of the vehicle can’t open so I had to take my vehicle, open the pan, put him in there and let the police take us to the hospital, lead us to hospital or escort us to the hospital.”

Errol Perrera says that he is not sure what led to the attack on Mencias, but his cousin, who is an architect, is believed to have a mental health condition.

Errol Perera

“It happened so fast and my cousin he suffers like mental problems or something and I feel like I didn’t act fast enough to save him. The attacker was very vicious and fast. I saw him struck him with the bad like three times to the head area and one to the chest area and that is when I intervened and I told him to stop because he is a professional and this guy is a mental patient. And he told me that it is sad, but he messed with the wrong person and mental patients belong where they belong. I felt like I should have probably try to stop him, but he was like a madman too. I don’t know what triggered him to get like that, to that stage. It happened so fast, nothing else I could have done, and I really feel hurted and hurt that this was somebody that I knew and not just an animal and I believe that the person could have reported that person so that the law could have done its process.”

Duane Moody for News Five.