Man suffers a beating after disparaging gangs

A man who witnesses said was questioning the toughness of Utah gangs outside a house full of suspected gang members was treated at a local hospital over the weekend after being beaten.

The man, whose name was not released by police, was either a California or Texas resident, said Salt Lake City police detective Jared Wihongi. The man reportedly got into an argument outside a house near 1300 South and 1300 West over who had the toughest gangs, he said. The man said something to the effect that he didn't believe Utah gang members were as tough as those in other states, Wihongi said.

Apparently the group took offense and wanted to demonstrate their toughness, as the man was "assaulted en masse," according to a Salt Lake City police report. One shot also was fired during the beating, but no one was hit, Wihongi said.

The man fled into a neighboring house, entering through the back door of the unsuspecting residents. Police were called and found the man bleeding and crying inside a bathtub. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital to be treated for multiple blunt trauma injuries, including one on his head that was bleeding, Wihongi said.

The perpetrators fled after the incident, and police said they are investigating.