Victim walks for first time since attack

MIAMI (WSVN) -- The victim of a vicious beating last weekend has made some important strides in his long road to recovery.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Rene Betancourt took his first steps since being beaten within an inch of his life almost a week ago. Cellphone video shot inside a hallway at Jackson Memorial Hospital showed Betancourt walking at close to a normal pace without the aid of crutches or a cane. Doctors were at Betancourt's side as he made his way down the hallway.

Betancourt's friends were at the hospital to witness his first walk.

Last Friday, the skateboarder was headed to Downtown Miami to meet up with friends when he was attacked. "All of a sudden, his friend came to my home, and he showed me a record of a call that he made to him at 2:57 a.m.," said the father, "and I noticed it was a distressed voice. He was looking for help."

The father found his son in a parked car a few blocks away from JMH the next morning. "When I saw him, I thought that he was dying," said Rene Betancourt, Sr., the victim's father. "He was in very, very bad shape."

Betancourt suffered numerous skull fractures in the beating. The victim was able to talk to detectives about his faint memory of the attack. "He told them that he was assaulted by three to five African Americans," said Betancourt, Sr. "They assaulted him, and they beat him with something very, very heavy."

He is still pretty bruised from the attack and has a long way to go. However, he has made major progress in his recovery.

No arrests have been made in the beating. Police are looking for anyone with information on this case. They attack happened at around 11 p.m., last Friday.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of the suspects in this attack, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)