More than $24,000 raised for boy whose eye was bitten out
BY STEVE E. SWENSON, Californian staff writer sswenson@bakersfield.com
More than $20,000 was raised over the weekend for the 4-year-old Bakersfield boy who was allegedly maimed by his father, organizers said.
The money — raised by the Forever Changed Christian motorcycle group — brings the total raised for Angelo Mendoza Jr. to $24,000, group president Billy Punt said Tuesday.
Related Photos
Photograph of Angelo Mendoza Jr., courtesy of KBAK TV.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Angelo Vidal Mendoza in court. He is accused of biting his four-year-old sons eyes causing blindness in one eye and severely damaging the other eye.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Angelo Vidal Mendoza was in court Tuesday morning. Mendoza's arraignment was delayed one week. He is accused of biting his four-year-old sons eyes causing blindness in one eye and severely damaging the other eye.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Angelo Vidal Mendoza speaks to his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Richard Terry, Tuesday in court. Mendoza's arraignment was delayed one week. He is accused of biting his four-year-old sons eyes causing blindness in one eye and severely damaging the other eye.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Angelo Vidal Mendoza speaks to his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Richard Terry, Tuesday in court. Mendoza's arraignment was delayed one week. He is accused of biting his four-year-old sons eyes causing blindness in one eye and severely damaging the other eye.
A motorcycle ride and gathering at Beach Park on Sunday “was a very great event and we are very thankful for the outpouring of support,” Punt said.
Punt said he’s continuing to work with lawyers and banks to set up a trust fund for the child being called “Baby Angel.”
Right now, an account known as The Baby Angel Fund has been set up at Wells Fargo Bank.
News of the fundraising success came on the same day that the father, Angelo Vidal Mendoza, appeared in court for the second time. He spent the brief hearing in a wheelchair, wrapped in a pink blanket from his feet to his neck.
He was scheduled to be arraigned but that was delayed a week.
Mendoza 34, is accused of mayhem, torture and child cruelty in the biting injuries to his son's eyes and hands.
The boy lost his left eye and has limited vision in his right eye. He is living in a foster home and is reportedly doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
A trial date will likely be set at the next hearing on June 23.
Police reports say the boy was attacked on April 28. Minutes later, the father left his apartment, went to a nearby vacant backyard and cut up his own legs with an ax and a broken ceramic plate, police said.
Mendoza tried to make it appear that gang members attacked him, police reports say.
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