Vitalino Reyes Jr. clings to life after he is brutally beaten by employees of competition

Vitalino Reyes Jr.

Tour Operator, Vitalino Reyes Junior of Cavetubing dot bz, is in a coma at the K.H.M.H. tonight, the victim of a brutal beating on Thursday evening. It happened at a popular club off Coney Drive. A man who was with Reyes Junior says they were beaten by a group of men who work for Yhony Rosado of Cavetubing dot com. Rosado and the Reyes family are competitors in the tourism industry and have been at odds for some time now. On April twenty-third, Rosado and Reyes Senior were bounded over the peace because of the ongoing feud between the two. But there are conflicting stories over the assault on Thursday night. There have been no arrests at news time, and all that we know for sure is that doctors say only a miracle can save Reyes Junior.  Mike Rudon went looking for answers and has the story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

Twenty-three year old Vitalino Reyes Jr. is in a coma tonight, clinging to life at the K.H.M.H. He and a friend were at a popular club on Thursday evening, and sometime around six-twenty p.m., there was a violent altercation.

Yoney Vega, Assault Victim

“After the cruise ships we were fuelling up; we sent all our vans toward home and then we went over to take a couple of beers with my friend. He said he wanted to see a friend that he had there, it is called Long Island. After we went there, we were there drinking like two beers when Yhony crowd approach, his staff; they were in full uniform so all of them could have been distinguished. They came directly towards we and they were laughing at us. So I told Junior let’s go because this doesn’t look alright. Before we move out, he even called his dad to tell him that we were surrounded by those guys and their intention was to hurt us.”

At exactly six fifteen, Vitalino Reyes Sr. received this text from his son. The young man tells his father that Yhony and his friends have just come into the bar and he is having trouble getting out. But he tells his father not to worry…that he’ll find a way. But that way led right into trouble.

Yoney Vega

Yoney Vega

“One of the guys stopped Junior and asked him if he got something against him. And Junior told him no and he tried to come out and the guy stopped him again and told him if he still got problem. He said no and when he was towards the door, that’s when he got knocked out with a pint in his back. One of the guys that I recognized; his nickname is Nichols, from City, he is one of his workers. When I ran towards Junior to see what is happening, they also knocked me too, by the same guy. When I dropped on the floor, they also kicked me, they just beat we up. I got knocked out and then I was laying down there and then one of the girls that was with us, she wake me up. When I wake up, she said your friend is knocked out so go and see what’s going on with him.”

Police arrived on the scene and both men were taken to the Belama Police Station, despite the fact that Vitalino Reyes Jr. was unconscious.

Yoney Vega

“I was telling him that if my colleague, which is Vitalino Reyes Junior; he was unconscious and I ask him if he can please take me to hospital. He said no. I told him why not? He said I have to take you first to the station to write a report. I told him, he is not doing good; he is not talking; he is not opening his eyes. And the police denied, he still denied and he said he wanted the key from the van also. So they took us there to the station at Belama and he said wake your friend beucase he has to come down from the truck.”

Vitalino Reyes Sr.

The two men were eventually taken to the hospital where Reyes remains in critical condition. His father, Vitalino Reyes Sr. says something like this was inevitable, since he and Yhony Rosado have been in disputes before.

Vitalino Reyes Sr., Father of Assault Victim

“The first thing he did is to come and pay somebody to break the glasses of my property in Franks Eddy. That was the first, the second. The third is when he pulled the gun and gone all the way to my house to follow my son and he got away from the law with that. Then December twenty-six, he come and threatens me and kicks me and punches me at Tourist Village and again, they give us a charge of disorderly conduct. The same charge that he faced is the same charge that they gave me which is not fair to me. And I provide evidence to the court, but again nothing happens. And this is the result of that.”

According to Reyes, all they can do at this point is pray, since the family has been told that it would take a miracle for his son to survive.

Vitalino Reyes Sr.

“I want to send a message t him; that he wants my vans, he wants my money, he could take it, but please stop bother with my people, my family. That is the life of my son…is priceless. I could give all my land, all my house, all my money. He can come and get it today, but life of my son is priceless.”

Late this evening Police were taking a statement from Yoney Vega, but there have been no arrests. Mike Rudon for News Five.

News Five contacted Yhony Rosado this morning. He claimed that neither he nor any of his workmen had anything to do with the violence. He says that like always, he is being blamed for something he didn’t do. We also contacted the Police, who had no information to offer except that the CIB is investigating the matter.