Groups call for probe of beating




BY LESLIE RICHARDSON
AND DUSTIN PANGONIS
STAFF WRITERS
Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 4:15 AM EDT
A Hispanic advocacy group is calling for an investigation into another alleged beating in Shenandoah.

Borough police are investigating an alleged attack of a man, who has admitted to lying about the details of the incident, and interviewing a female borough resident in connection with the case.

Police said Javier Alcala Jr., 21, of 36 W. Coal St., originally claimed he was abducted from a borough street and beaten, but later claimed he was attacked inside a borough residence.

According to police, Officer George Carado received a call about 5:04 a.m. Friday from a friend of Alcala, who was taken to Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs for treatment.

At the hospital, Alcala told police he was kidnapped near Centre and West streets around 4 p.m. by three men in a black Ford Expedition. He said he was blindfolded and his arms and legs were duct-taped.

Alcala said he was taken to the outskirts of Shenandoah, where the men assaulted him and left him at the end of South Chestnut Street. Alcala said he was able to free himself and called a friend to take him to the hospital.

Police said Alcala later revealed he lied about the kidnapping details and, after further interviews, police determined the assault occurred at 18 S. Chestnut St., where Alcala arrived with a female acquaintance.

Alcala said he arrived at the home and was jumped by the men, who struck him on the head, bound him with duct tape on his legs and arms, and blindfolded him with duct tape.

According to the search warrant, the three men later used a drill to twist Alcala’s pants leg and were preparing to burn his feet when one of the men said Alcala was not the person they intended to assault.

Alcala said he was beaten to the point of unconsciousness and woke up later at the south end of Chestnut Street.

Nestor said Alcala’s immigration status is still under investigation and may have played a part in him not telling the truth in the original complaint.

According to police, Alcala said the incident was not racially motivated.

However, both the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund have called for the Department of Justice to make a federal civil rights investigation into the incident.

Two months ago, MALDEF also called for an investigation into the July 12 beating of Luis Eduardo Ramirez Zavala, 25, an illegal Mexican immigrant who died from his injuries two days later. Four local teens have been charged in connection to that beating, which officials allege had racial overtones.

Department of Justice spokeswoman Jamie Hais wrote in an e-mail Tuesday that the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is opening an investigation into the Friday incident. FBI spokeswoman Jerri Williams said that an FBI agent from the Allentown Resident Agency is also reviewing the attack, but has not yet opened an investigation.

MALDEF staff attorney Gladys Limon said the organization was made aware of the assault on Alcala after a community member called Saturday.

“We have not received any information as of yet that indicates that this was racially motivated,â€