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NEARLY KILL A LITTLE
BOY...
POLICE EVEN
IDENTIFIED HIM.
BUT MORE THAN A
YEAR LATER -
HE STILL HASN'T
BEEN CHARGED.
IT'S A STORY YOU
FIRST ON SEVEN.
NOW KOAT ACTION 7
NEWS REPORTER LAURA
THOREN FINDS OUT,
WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG.
SOUND OF TRUCK
DRIVING WHEELIES
IN WARM WEATHER, THE
RIO GRANDE IN BELEN IS
PACKED WITH LOCALS
HANGING OUT ON THE
SANDBAR.
SOME DRIVING AROUND,
DOING DOUGHNUTS.
It gets pretty full
here.
AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE
MANEUVERS CAN BE
DANGEROUS... NOT JUST
FOR DRIVERS:
NATS OF ATV FLIPPING
BUT ALSO FOR KIDS
PLAYING NEARBY.
LAST YEAR -
A FOUR YEAR OLD BOY
WAS BUILDING
SANDCASTLES, WHEN A
HUMMER SPED TOWARD HIM ...AND
RAN HIM OVER.
JOHN PAUL SAYS HE
WATCHED IT ALL HAPPEN.
It ran right over him
... he wasn't moving -
the reaction kicked
in, we had to go over
there.
He was just crying,
telling me that it
hurt
ANTOINETTE FRANCO
TELLS US AS SHE RUSHED
TO HER SON, THE DRIVER
OF THE HUMMER STOPPED
AND GOT OUT FOR A FEW
SECONDS...THEN, SPED
OFF.
LITTLE ADRIAN WAS LEFT
MANGLED BELOW THE
WAIST.
They told me at the
hospital he had a
broken pelvis, a
broken right femur.
SURGERIES COST THE
FRANCO FAMILY
THOUSANDS -
AND ADRIAN STILL WALKS
WITH A LIMP.
NOW HIS MOTHER WANTS
TO KNOW WHY -- MORE
THAN A YEAR LATER --
THE DRIVER OF THAT
HUMMER STILL HASN'T
BEEN CHARGED WITH A
CRIME.
WE BROUGHT THAT
QUESTION TO DISTRICT
ATTORNEY LEMEUL
MARTINEZ.
Laura: What's taken
so long?
Martinez: There's
been delays.
Originally the defense
wanted a preliminary
hearing on the
manner.
Plus we've had a lot
of high profile crimes
in Valencia County.
BUT MARTINEZ SAYS HIS
OFFICE HAS IDENTIFIED
THE MAN WHO WAS
DRIVING THAT HUMMER.
Laura: can you say
he's the suspect can
you say he's going to
be charged?
DA: Yes, yes you can
say that.
HE SAYS THE DRIVER
WILL LIKELY BE
INDICTED FOR LEAVING
THE SCENE OF AN
ACCIDENT, IN THE NEXT
MONTH.
WE'VE HEARD THAT LINE
BEFORE.
Laura: Because that's
what I was told 7
months ago. Martinez:
Uh-huh
Laura: So it is really
in the next month or
so? Yes.
14 MONTHS AFTER HER
SON NEARLY DIED,
FRANCO IS TIRED OF THE
WAITING GAME.
AND SO ARE THOSE WHO
WATCHED ADRIAN GET HIT
THAT DAY.
If it was my daughter
we wouldn't be
standing here talking
right now i know that.
I'd be looking for the
dude.
TRUST ME, I WILL BE
WATCHING THIS STORY
AND UPDATING YOU TO
SEE IF ANY ACTION IS
FINALLY TAKEN.
LAURA THOREN KOAT
ACTION 7 NEWS.