User:Rsimins

Richard M. Simins
Las Vegas, NV 89123 D.O.B. 02/20/1952 Current Status: Permenently Disabled

'''September 23, 2007 - Sunday 10 Years Ago Current mood: annoyed Category: Angry Life Murder Attempt - 10 Years Ago Its hard to believe that 10 years ago on June 18, 1997, My life such as it is was almost ended. On June 7th. I received a phone call from my brother who was living in Phoenix, AZ. telling me he was having a hard time and could I do anything to help him out. As much as I really didn't want to, I loaded up my Ford Taurus with virtually everything I owned and headed for Phoenix on June 18th. Driving down the I-10 from my then home in San Diego I stopped at a Wendy's in Blythe, CA. which was surrounded by a truck stop and a campground running along the Colorado river. I was tired so I brought my cheeseburger and soda to a spot by the bank of the river, got out of my car and sat on a ledge 12 feet above the river. I didn't notice that there wasn't anybody near me. I head the sound of a vehicle coming from the road and from the corner of my eye saw a beat up blue pickup truck drive by. A minute or so later I heard footsteps approaching and an elderly old man stood in front of me and asked me if I had a match. While reaching in my pocket out of nowhere a second guy started beating the crap out of me with some kind of board. The 2 of them beat, kicked and pushed me off the ledge 12 feet down. I knew my leg and back was severely damaged so there wasn't much I could do. They emptied out my car and pushed it into the river. I heard one of them say "What are we gonna do with him?" The other one said "I'll take care of it". As he approached me he grabbed me by the hair into the river and held me under until I guess I blacked out. I was found lying on the bank the next day by some campers who called the police. I only remember fragments of what was going on around me, and the police kept asking me questions, but couldn't speak with the exception of a name I heard "Jonathon" and "Blue pickup". There were dozens of police and media people around me and I heard someone say "He's almost dead". I was medivac'd to a local hospital where the detectives tried to interview me, but all I managed to do was puke on one of the detectives. It was decided I should be sent to Riverside General Hospital and was airlifted to that location. Over the course of a week I endured 4 surgeries which included reconstructing my face, back and pelvis. I then was sent to Pleasant Hills nursing home where I spent the next 4 months in hell. If you heard stories about the conditions of nursing homes, let me tell you..They're true. Eventually, I was released, the police found the two "MEN" stuck in a sand dune the day after the incident and because Blythe,CA is on the Arizona border it was decided the Arizona D.A.'s office would handle my case. On September 28, 1998 I was to testify on my behalf in front of a judge and jury. I was placed in a private room until it was my turn to tell the story. I and the DA didn't want me to go through the agony of reliving the story. The victim witness coordinator came and told me to follow her into the court room. I told my story and was escorted back into the other room. After what seemed to be an eternity the court was adjourned and I went back to the motel I was staying at to wait for a phone call from the DA. The call came...the charge, Aggravated Assault, a class 3 felony. With it a sentence of 2.5 to 3.75 years in jail along with $250K in victim restitution. Victims of Crime and the State of Arizona took care of the money end, but those two jerks only spent 5 months in jail and are wandering out there somewhere probably doing it to other people. There is not a day in my life that in some way I relive that whole ordeal. I don't understand the judicial system, but I'll save my thoughts on that and what’s happening in my life today in my next blog. The moral to this story..I grew up in South Chicago and thought I was streetwise. I quickly found out I wasn't. Thanks for you time.

September 3, 2007 - Monday'''