The mother of a suspect accused of thrashing a canvasser for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) over the weekend is refusing to bail him out, insisting he take responsibility for his actions.
Diana Rosa Lopez, a registered Republican whose son Javier Jesus Lopez, 25, was arrested Sunday for the canvasser beat down, condemned her son’s actions and revealed that he has voiced remorse for the brutal beat down.
“He deserves whatever he deserves for getting in a fight,” Diana Lopez told the Miami Herald. “He says he regrets what happened. He wishes that he could have controlled himself.”
RUBIO CANVASSER BRUTALLY ASSAULTED IN FLORIDA, SENATOR SAYS
Javier Lopez was arrested Sunday following the alleged attack. Rubio broke the news of the attack Monday, claiming that an assailant informed the canvasser that Republicans weren’t allowed in the area before inflicting violence upon him. The incident took place in Hialeah.
Diana Lopez was adamant that her son was not politically motivated in the confrontation but conceded that she was not quite sure what prompted the attack.
“My son doesn’t know anything about politics. He likes fishing,” Diana Lopez told the Miami Herald. “My son has never voted … And he says he doesn’t understand why they are saying what they are saying [about political motivations].”
Police subsequently arrested a second suspect, Jonathan Casanova, 27. An arrest report included a sworn statement in which the alleged victim, Christopher Monzon, 27, claimed Casanova told him “he couldn’t pass through because he was a Republican and his dogs were ready to attack,” according to Local 10 News.
Rubio lashed out at media coverage highlighting Diana Lopez’s assertion that her son wasn’t motivated by politics in the attack.
“When a republican volunteer is savagely beaten, the traditional media treats the victim as the criminal and the criminal as a nice young man who likes fishing & just made a mistake,” he tweeted.
When a republican volunteer is savagely beaten the traditional media treats the victim as the criminal and the criminal as a nice young man who likes fishing & just made a mistake
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 25, 2022
Monzon had ties to the white nationalist group named the League of the South and was referred to as the “Cuban Confederate,” according to the Miami Herald. He also attended the “Unite the Right” rally back in 2017, per the Southern Poverty Law Center.
He previously vied for Hialeah City Council in 2021.
Meanwhile, Javier Lopez has a criminal history in the area, including charges for driving a stolen car in 2017 that he claimed to have purchased at a flea market, and an alleged burglary in 2018, per the Miami Herald.
“He is a great son, but he’s not perfect,” Diana Lopez added. “He’s trying to turn his life around. He’s working in warehouses.”
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Photos of Monzon shared by Rubio showed the canvasser in an ambulance with a swollen jawline, blood oozing down his face, and eyes that appeared swollen shut. He currently serves as the vice president of the Miami Springs Republican Club.
The Washington Examiner reached out to representatives for Rubio.
