John Mattes

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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 that he was doing a report on. Mattes attended the University of Wisconsin 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 [1] in 1985.

[edit] Suleiman 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 top-rated 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.