Imperial Valley Black Lives Matter holds protest march for Asiad case
A protest march was held in El Centro on Wednesday. The demonstration stems from a case in which a teenage boy was kidnapped and beaten.
That boy’s father says evidence in the case was mishandled and he wants justice.
A small group of people organized by Imperial Valley Black Lives Matter and the Asiad family gathered at Main Street and Imperial Avenue at 12:30 p.m. and marched to Imperial County Superior Court to voice their message.
“My family is a victim and my son is a victim, and we are paying the price. They should be ashamed of themselves, they should resign. Mr. Otero resign, Mrs. Deborah Owen go home, back your bag and go home. The election is coming, we are all going to change this injustice,” said Dr. Mohammad Asiad, resident of Calexico.
On October 17, 2014 Mussa Asiad who was 17 years old at the time says he was kidnapped, beaten and choked on his way to a school event.
Asiad claims that the Calexico Police Department destroyed evidence in the case which has been delayed for three years, and adding that the DA’s settlement offer is unjust.
“My father knows Mr. Otero which is the man in charge of this building across the street, DA’s office, district attorney’s office. He basically told my father that he wasn’t going to help my case or do anything about it because my dad took away right hand man in Calexico Police Department, which is not true,” said Mussa Asiad, resident of Calexico.
News 11 reached out to the district attorney’s office and they are calling the statements in the organization’s press release erroneous or false.
“The DA has not offered to prosecute the defendants for only three years’ probation. The sentencing for a defendant for a crime is the responsibility of the judge rather than the individual prosecutor. The judicial process, the rights of victims and the rights of the accused have all been explained to Mr. Mohammad and his son in extensive detail,” said Deborah Owen, Assistant District Attorney, Imperial County.
News 11 also reached out to Calexico police, but no one was available to provide a statement and they did not return our phone call.
Asiad did have a hearing at 1:30 today, and said he hopes to get his message out there.
