Salt Lake City man beaten with baseball bat

A Salt Lake City man was critically injured when he was beaten with a baseball bat outside his home Friday night, police say.

A 25-year-old man was sitting outside with his family at the Buena Vista Apartments, 4424 S. Christopherson Drive, about 9 p.m. when he was approached by four men, said West Valley Police Lt. Bill Merritt.

After the men warned the victim of a pending fight, he told his family to get inside their home. The man and one of the others began fighting.

At some point, the assailant obtained a baseball bat. The Salt Lake City man attempted to flee, but the man wielding the bat was able to keep pace and hit him several times in the head, neck and torso with the bat, Merritt said.

Eventually, the four men fled through the apartment complex, leaving the victim unconscious and bleeding on the ground. He was taken to Intermountain Medical Center in critical but stable condition.

Police are still looking for the four men, Merritt said. A suspect has been identified, but the search has been hampered by witnesses not wanting to provide information.

"It's not uncommon to have people be uncooperative," he said. "This is an area where a lot of gangs like to hang out, and it may be an unfortunate instance of Polynesian and Hispanic (gangs)."

On July 3, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed multiple times in an unrelated incident at the Buena Vista Apartments. The two instances of possible gang activity have been a cause of concern for residents and police.

In the wake of the stabbing, police presence was increased near the apartments to the extent staffing would allow, Merritt said. However, as more time passed, patrols loosened.

"We can't be everywhere all the time," he said. "It's difficult, but we rely on residents to let us know and to give us accurate information so we can resolve these crimes."

Fear of retaliation keeps many residents quiet about gang activity, often hamstringing crime investigations, Merritt said.

Merritt reminded residents that West Valley has not cross-deputized its officers. The police's top priority is investigating and solving crimes, he said, not whether some residents may be undocumented and fearful of deportation.

"We will not ask about a person's status if they are reporting a crime," Merritt said. "People can't turn a blind eye to crimes like this."

e-mail: cnorlen@desnews.com