Man Who Ran Over 1-Year-old Had Suspended License, Police Say

A 1-year-old whose parents own a repair shop in Orange County was killed after an employee backed up and ran the child over.

Last week, Wallkill Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision at Joshua’s Repair Shop located at 420 Highland Avenue Extension in Wallkill. Arriving Officers were told that one-year-old Joshua Gutierrez of Bloomingburg was taken to Orange Regional Medical Center.

The boy was pronounced dead on arrival.

Joshua’s parents own the auto repair shop. Witnesses told police that the boy was retrieving a ball when a van driven by an employee, Antonio Mendez, struck the boy as the vehicle backed up.

Mendez, 31, of Middletown, was arrested by police after authorities discovered Mendez was driving with a suspended license. He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Mendez is scheduled to appear in Town of Wallkill Court on Nov. 10.

The investigation by Town of Wallkill Police Department Detectives into the accident is ongoing and the Department is being assisted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Police, and the City of Middletown Police Department.