Transcript: Exclusive Interview with Former Patients of Arthur Daniel Hayes

Exclusive Interview with Former Patients of Arthur Daniel Hayes
KGBT Action News 4 Rio Grande Valley
Saturday, January 6, 2007, 10:00 p.m.; Run time (min:sec) 3:06

Anchorman Michael:
Big story tonight - new patients are coming to the rescue of a doctor who has been accused of practicing w/out a medical license.
Arthur Daniel Hayes is faced with a school of charges, but those who were named in the indictments against him, want those charges dropped.
Let’s go to Action News 4 reporter Brian Wolf with more as the victims are speaking out.

Ryan Wolf:
Michael, prosecutors want a gag order, the defense wants to disqualify the D.A., now comes the alleged patients who the case against Arthur Hayes dropped all together.

“Respect”, “professional manner”, “He never touched me improperly.” Former patients named in indictments against Arthur Daniel Hayes are coming forward with handwritten letters to get the charges against the so called fake doctor. Amanda Alonzo and Elizabeth Quiroz are sharing the signed and dated statements exclusively with Action 4 news. Both say their words in support of Hayes have been given to his attorney to be used in court. Amanda talks to us about her multiple visits to Mr. Hayes some three years ago. She was 18 at the time and pregnant.

Amanda Alonzo:
When I was there, he never did anything wrong to me, he was very nice to me, he never disrespected me or anything like that, he’s a very nice man.

Wolf:
Elizabeth with a similar story and reaction to Hayes’ behavior in the doctors office. Five visits in all, Elizabeth was 15 at the time with abdominal pain.

Elizabeth Quiroz:
I don’t have nothing to complain about Mr. Hayes. I mean I’ve said it since the beginning, he always treated me with respect, I mean there’s nothing bad to say about him.

Wolf:
The state couldn’t disagree more. The indictment against Hayes accuse him of practicing medicine without a license, Medicaid fraud and performing unnecessary breast and pelvic exams on patients in clinics in Harlingen and San Benito. And as we learned, even these patients who are seemingly trying to come to Hayes’ rescue can’t deny the allegations against him.

Quiroz:
In my case, I’m not gonna lie, there was nobody in the room when he was giving me the pelvic exam.

Wolf:
Amanda confirms Hayes gives her a breast examination. We ask who is in the office room at the time.

Alonzo:
A nurse, Mr. Hayes and my sister.

Wolf:
Regardless, both say the indictments are only half-truths, Amanda and Elizabeth agree they were never physically or psychologically harmed in any way.

Wolf:
So you didn’t suffer any physical or psychological harm whatsoever?

Quiroz:
No. No.

Alonzo:
No, I didn’t.

Wolf:
Now the D.A. says that despite the victims’ feelings, that does not change the fact that Hayes committed criminal acts, meanwhile the defense attorneys claim the prosecutors made false promises to an accused in the attempt to illicit incriminating statements, that they used racially biased investigative methods and that they violated Pastor Hayes’ rights by setting too high a bond.
Hayes remains free following a bond reduction hearing. A codefendant is facing similar charges. Ryan Wolf, Action 4 news.

Michael:
Ok, Ryan thanks very much. Now on a side note, now the state has filed a motion to restrict publicity, in other words, it’s a gag order. In the mean time the defense has filed a motion to have the prosecutor removed. But of course you can count on Action 4 news to update you on the latest.