JEDDAH, 7 December 2004 — Wenceslao Pescante, Jr. was among the wounded when the terrorists stormed the US Consulate this morning.
Pescante, 56, has been working at the US Consulate as carpenter for the past three years. He suffered from gunshot wound on his right abdominal wall, shrapnel wound on his left arm, and a bullet is still lodged on his left knee.
He was rushed to the nearby Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital by Saudi security forces. The hospital made a statement that his life was not in danger.
He said that he was in a vehicle entering the consulate’s rear gate — opposite the Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital — with an American woman employee when a firefight broke out between security forces and the terrorists.
The Pakistani driver was hurt in the same incident and is confined at the same hospital.
“If I was not riding in the van, I could have been killed,” Pestano told Arab News. The van Pestano was riding was armored, but was still penetrated.
Pescante didn’t give other information due to security protocol but told Arab News that he is from Makati City and his wife’s name is Elizabeth Pescante. He was previously employed with the USGS in Jeddah.
