John Mattes

John Mattes is an investigative journalist of FOX television affiliate XETV, based in Tijuana and San Diego, and is best known for being physically attacked by a man on whom he was doing a report. Mattes attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as the University of Miami School of Law. Before working for Fox, he served as a County Supervisor in Madison, Wisconsin and practiced law in Miami, Florida.

Mattes was the first person to bring Oliver North and the Iran Contra affair to the attention of Senator John Kerry [http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/062003.shtml] in 1985.

In 1992 Mattes served as Investigative Counsel to the US Senate POW Committee. Subsequently Mattes represented the Lost Army Commandos, a group of CIA assets left in POW camps for decades. After a 3 year court battle Mattes won a 20 million dollar settlement for them. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE0D7163EF937A25757C0A963958260]

uleiman Attack

On September 6, 2006 the network received national attention when he was attacked by two people while investigating an alleged real estate scam. He was injured with cracked ribs, bite wounds and cuts to his face. The attacking scene was caught on tape by his cameraman Dennis Waldrop. He was later interviewed by Bill O'Reilly on his show "The O'Reilly Factor". While Mattes recovered, the couple that attacked him, Sam Suleiman and Rosa Barraza, faced multiple charges.

One week after the attack, Mattes returned to XETV to do an investigative report on mortgage fraud.

Suleiman went on cable television and claimed he was the victim. On September 12, the couple pled not guilty in a San Diego courtroom. Suleiman faces ten years and eight months for battery causing great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, making a criminal threat and intimidating a witness. Barraza could get four years and eight months for assault with a deadly weapon, making a criminal threat, property theft and battery.

About two and a half weeks after his first arrest, Suleiman was arrested after violating a restraining order filed by neighbors and barricading himself inside his house.

The prosecutor will appeal on behalf of Mattes. The trial began October 27. A separate trial related to the real estate scam began November 9.

According to a CNN report dated July 7, 2007, Suleiman, who plead guilty to the charges in April, was sentenced on July 6 to one year in prison and ordered to complete anger management classes. His wife Rosa plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and was ordered to perform 30 days of community service. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19642470/]

External links

* [http://www.sandiego6.com/content/news/bio.aspx?content_id=815845b6-2545-4164-91fe-ad7b02b7d728 XETV's biography of Mattes]
* [http://www.sandiego6.com/news/unit6/ Investigative reporting page, contains coverage of attack and attacker's criminal past]
* [http://www.sandiego6.com/downloads/suleimancharges.pdf Explanation of charges against Suleiman and Barraza via San Diego 6]