BajaNomad - Campers attacked in La Bocana

Campers attacked in La Bocana

dtbushpilot - 9-22-2008 at 12:59 PM

Just read a story in Mexico Fishing about two campers, Father and Son, being attacked by a bat weilding robber in La Bocana.

BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: One of the victims of the attack, who requested not to be identified, said, "We were camped maybe 100 yards from the outboard mechanic's shack.

"The attack occurred just inside the gate where the pangueros beach their boats. My son was sleeping in the truck and I was in the tent. I heard the truck door open and opened my eyes to see someone cracking my son on the head with a bat while he slept. I yelled out and the attacker immediately ran to the tent and began pummeling me with the bat. He was able to connect with two strong whacks to my head, knocking me senseless and temporarily blind. He went back to finish off my son. At that moment my sight was restored and enabled me to stagger to the truck and get my hands on the boat pole. My son kicked the door into the maniac and he ran away.

"The police brought in a few guys for me to look at, none of whom resembled the meager description I was able to provide them. The doctor and nurse at the clinic did a good job patching us up and providing medicine. Dr. Romero correctly diagnosed my broken shoulder without benefit of X-rays. Muchas gracias, senor y senora.

"We caravanned back to the border with two Americanos. X-rays showed my upper left arm and shoulder to be broken in five places, but our skulls are not fractured. Hard heads, I guess.

Scary stuff.......dt

[Edited on 9-22-2008 by dtbushpilot]

dtbushpilot - 9-22-2008 at 01:13 PM

More on the story:

Heil confirmed a violent, late-night attack and apparent attempted robbery of two beach campers near La Bocana. "The story is basically correct about the attack," Heil said. "Local people were not satisfied with the investigation of the attack and about 200 people converged on the police station. In the afternoon, the Santa Rosalia police chief and other officials came and a big meeting was held in front of the La Bocana police station. Last Sunday, at the Punta Abreojos fishing tournament, a police official talked to us and said that they believe they know who the attacker was and will let us know once the investigation is completed and the bandit locked up. As of last week, we now have a new delegado chief and a new police chief. Nothing like this had ever happened here before and really it's one of the safest places in Baja or anywhere else."

........dt

woody with a view - 9-22-2008 at 05:56 PM

that sucks....it seems that even the threat of la mesa prison doesn't affect those tweekers. just turn them over to the locals to pound out justice. an eye for a bruise, i say. it won't be long now, if the proper sentence is handed down. :!:

edit: we'll be vulnerable in 2 weeks if you or anyone you know wants to take your best shot at winning the lottery and hauling off our stuffs. we'll have plenty of corn-fed-gringos willing to protect what is ours... step on up, brutos... we welcome your initiative...

:light:

[Edited on 9-23-2008 by woody in ob]

[Edited on 9-23-2008 by woody in ob]

DianaT - 9-22-2008 at 07:01 PM

Dang---that is awful. Sure hope they catch that guy and that the victims are OK.

I am not surprised the locals are pushing for more action----they sure don't want that kind of trouble in where in that area!

Thanks for the information.

Diane

Ken Cooke - 9-22-2008 at 07:07 PM

Things are so bad with the economies, etc., hopefully this will not become a common occurance. But, who knows?

greybaby - 9-22-2008 at 09:24 PM

As bad as this attack sounds, I'm impressed with the outpouring of support from the locals to get involved to the degree they did. That is what it will take to make a difference in a country that is unfortunately becoming more and more like the country true Mexicanos never want to see - Colombia. While we lived there (1999-2005) it was often discussed among our local friends that they wanted to keep Mexico from being taken over by the cartels that are lawless and have no respect for anyone.

We'll be down to our house in Cantu in a couple of weeks and even though we read about all the negative things, we can hardly wait to get there to see our neighbors, our friends, and the beautiful area we so love.

We have to do all we can, to protect this area from the relatively few who are trying to destroy it.

bajasol - 9-22-2008 at 11:42 PM

I am wondering about what would happen if the father or even the son or anyone in that situation would have killed the thug in a fit of rage and in self defense...how does the Mexican law bend...toward the true or the local? I know change is in place in Baja to change it from a Roman Law state to an American style Law "innocent until proven guilty". BUt in that situation...right is right but do you deal with the body yourself or let the officials work out the details and hope you are in the clear?

CaboRon - 9-23-2008 at 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Things are so bad with the economies, etc., hopefully this will not become a common occurance. But, who knows?

I don't think this is a money thing ...

It is a meth/tweeker thing ...

They are not deterred by laws or logic ....

This drug is destroying what were a once gentle people ....

In the states we call it the "white trash drug" because it is so cheap, you can be high for two days for twenty dollars.

CaboRon

[Edited on 9-23-2008 by CaboRon]

postholedigger - 9-23-2008 at 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajasol
I am wondering about what would happen if the father or even the son or anyone in that situation would have killed the thug in a fit of rage and in self defense...how does the Mexican law bend...toward the true or the local? I know change is in place in Baja to change it from a Roman Law state to an American style Law "innocent until proven guilty". BUt in that situation...right is right but do you deal with the body yourself or let the officials work out the details and hope you are in the clear?

This I would actually like to know. Can I fight back or just practice BOHICA so the paperwork will be easier?

CaboRon - 9-23-2008 at 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by postholedigger

Quote:

This I would actually like to know. Can I fight back or just practice BOHICA so the paperwork will be easier?

A lawyer speaking at our Eco-Cafe meeting recently said that you may visit physical violence on an intruder IN your home.

How that would relate to a camp , I don't know.

Of course, any violence (even a car accident) to a national is a sticky wicket.

CaboRon

woody with a view - 9-23-2008 at 07:48 AM

i imagine if the dad would have got the bat from the attacker and stuck it up the guys arse the dad would have been in trouble. UNLESS, the event was witnessed by a few locals. THEN they probably would have applauded the machismo of the dad for protecting his boy and made the attacker disappear or fixed the story for the authorities.

dtbushpilot - 9-23-2008 at 07:52 AM

I've often wondered how far I could leagally go to protect myself in a situation such as this but I know that in the heat of battle I would do whatever I could to inflict as much damage on my opponent as I could as quickly as possible. Seeing someone beating a family member with a bat would cause me to strike out in potentially fatal fashion (me or him). I wonder if the fact that he brought a bat to a machete fight would make me seem to have been the aggressor?

Hope I never have to find out.....dt

woody with a view - 9-23-2008 at 07:56 AM

Quote:

I wonder if the fact that he brought a bat to a machete fight would make me seem to have been the aggressor?

good point. maybe the locals would appreciate the fact that the tweeker brought a bat to your camp and started swinging it. the machete was just minding its own business...

joel - 9-23-2008 at 08:00 AM

Thanks for posting this. I hope it's an aberration and I'm glad the locals took it upon themselves to speak up. It's a wonderful part of Baja and the world and it would be a tragedy to see it slip into violence and lawlessness.

shari - 9-23-2008 at 08:01 AM

OK...I'm not gonna say too much...BUT I have talked to several people from La Bocana about this including the guy who helped them get medical attention and it appears that this MAY NOT have been an unprovoked attack on innocent campers (read between the lines)...apparently the guy did NOT press any charges so the perp cannot be prosecuted. He is a member of a big family there.

People there who know the skinny have mentioned that there was something fishy there and are just putting the whole thing to bed...it's very embarrasing and bad for the villages reputation.

I was VERY upset when I heard about the attack but a bit suspicious because an attack out of the blue is so rare...and robbers usually dont carry bats....nothing was stolen.

While everyone can rant and rave about injustice, violence in baja etc...but just stop and think for one moment...what if and I'm not saying this was the case....but what IF these people did something to evoke this kind of retribution...would you all rant and rave about how awful it is that foreigners come to baja and bring so much trouble to the quiet communities?

I have encountered MANY lowlifers who arrive....who on the internet might seem like normal tourists...NOT NOT NOT...they are looking for drugs, sex, are addicts and violent themselves. I have seen this type of person get the crap beat out of them here....but they brought it on themselves.

The point I am trying to make is please do not judge these incidents with a bit of info you see on the internet. Keep an open mind. Tweekers are everywhere...not every victim is innocent. I agree that violence may not be the accepted way to deal with things but I know that it is what happens here if you are out of line.

Possibly these guys were just a random victim of a robbery, if so, I am truly sorry for what happened to them...but they need to press charges so the perp can be dealt with. But why wont they identify themselves and press charges? This is the only way to address crime here.

woody with a view - 9-23-2008 at 08:04 AM

my views are based on the rumors presented, and are subject to change as the story does.

Paulina - 9-23-2008 at 08:10 AM

Unfortunately justice depends on the tweekers relatives and how much clout they have in town. If the guy wasn't a local, then my guess it would up to the delgado.

P<*)))>{

DianaT - 9-23-2008 at 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CaboRon

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Things are so bad with the economies, etc., hopefully this will not become a common occurance. But, who knows?

I would also suspect meth. There is so little crime along that coast, but there is meth, unfortunately. Violent crime is really rare. And maybe as Shari suggests, it might not have been unprovoked. Could be meth on more than one side.

Also, as access continues to become easier, there are more outsiders coming in---it is one of the things our friends in BA worry about --- it is a part of the ambigious feelings many have toward the paving of the roads.

While some are looking forward to the ease of access and seeking ways to share in the increased tourist dollars, they really want to keep the peaceful and safe community.

One note on poverty in that area----it really is different than in the bigger cities. Yes, there is poverty, but people really take care of each other. Our contractor even built a little wood house for shelter for one of the local town drunks. He also hires him when he is able to work.

Yes, Ken, we also sure hope it does not become common in that area----it still is really old Baja out there.

Diane

[Edited on 9-23-2008 by jdtrotter]

dtbushpilot - 9-23-2008 at 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob
my views are based on the rumors presented, and are subject to change as the story does.

Same here Woody. It's easy for us to hear one side of a story and take off running with it. Thanks Shari for reminding us that there is always 2 (or more) sides to a story. I too find it "fishy" that the victim didn't identify himself but then again, I don't know who he was telling the story to and maybe he didn't feel comfortable with them. As for leaving without pressing charges, I try to picture myself batterd, bleeding with obviously broken bones far from home in a remote place and conclude that the thing that I would want most would be to go home to my doctors and get medical attention. I don't know what the process would be to press charges, if it were an easy matter it would seem that he would have done it before he left.

Again, there is 2 sides to every story. Thanks again Shari for reminding us of that and please keep us posted as the real story develops......dt

postholedigger - 9-23-2008 at 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari

The point I am trying to make is please do not judge these incidents with a bit of info you see on the internet.

My comments come more from the prospective of what I would be allowed to do if I was minding my own business but suffered an attack by someone.

I certainly agree that there are always 2 sides to a story and there may be more than what meets the eye. It's the same way I deal with any news be it on a forum, word of mouth, or on CNN.

But stories like this just make me picture me and my family innocently being on the receiving end of that bat and the lengths I would go to to defend myself and loved ones. I would do what have to do, I just wanted to know if I would end up in prison for the rest of my life for it. If so, then so be it.

yellowklr - 9-23-2008 at 02:50 PM

I was there and It was an awful attack....Nothing was taken, NOTHING...!!!!
I won't say anything else because it would just be a GUESS or a FEELING and I could be wrong..I do have to correct Shari on one misstatement- they did do a full police report and statement and they do want to press charges assuming they catch someone..They didn't want to give their names on the internet but did fully cooperate with the Police..

NO I don't know the victims but I was there before and after the incident.
YES I think it is safe and I'm going back in few Weeks!!!!!

[Edited on 9-23-2008 by yellowklr]

shari - 9-23-2008 at 06:07 PM

thanks for that amigo...I stand corrected and was just repeating what we heard here from some la bocana residents...and making a point....we'll probably never know the REAL story.

yellowklr - 9-23-2008 at 07:14 PM

No problem Shari lets just hope it was an isolated incident!!!

vacaenbaja - 9-23-2008 at 10:35 PM

Sounds like a San Quintin welcome party. The same thing happened to some poor guy there while in his sleeping bag on the beach.
He was not so lucky,being that he was zipped up in his bag
he could not defend himself while the bad guy beat him to death and stole his car and other items. I do not think that
they ever found out who did it. I think that they did find the
stolen truck later on. This happened a few years ago.

pappy - 9-24-2008 at 07:27 AM

well, if they did something to provoke the attack, it seems the attack would have taken place when the provocation happened, not when they were fast asleep.

woody with a view - 9-24-2008 at 07:34 AM

Quote:

would you all rant and rave about how awful it is that foreigners come to baja and bring so much trouble to the quiet communities?

i'd expect them to do the same as we do in the US. lock them up. soon gringo will be the majority in the prison system, just as mexicans are the majority in california prisons....

"The U.S. Justice Department estimated that 270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time nationally in 2003. Of those, 108,000 were in California. Some estimates show illegals now make up half of California's prison population, creating a massive criminal subculture that strains state budgets and creates a nightmare for local police forces."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1604385/posts

but, i hijack.