Salt Lake County sheriff's investigators were busy dealing with two unrelated stabbings Saturday that sent two victims to the hospital.
The first happened just before 2 a.m. at a house near 14300 South and 5000 West. A 22-year-old man hosting a party kicked some people out for acting inappropriately in his basement, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak. Forty minutes later, the man who put up the biggest resistance to being tossed out called the house and said, "You'd better get out of the house. Bad things are about to happen," Jaroscak said.
Other partygoers then noticed a suspicious vehicle driving back and forth past the house. A short time later, two people knocked at the door.
The homeowner argued with the people at the door before being stabbed in the stomach, Jaroscak said. He was flown to a local hospital in serious condition.
The two attackers fled, and a couple of partygoers chased them. The attackers got into a truck and escaped, Jaroscak said. A deputy responding to the stabbing from Kearns spotted the truck driving past him about five miles from the house, he said. The deputy turned around, called for backup and pulled the truck over.
Three people inside the truck were arrested: Zachary White, 20, the man investigators believe was originally kicked out and made the threatening phone call to the house; Keoni Turner, 21; and Dustin Butterfield, 20. All three were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault and aggravated burglary.
Butterfield has a previous criminal history, including a 2004 incident in which he eventually pleaded guilty to disarming a police officer and was given a suspended prison sentence.
About 11 a.m. there was another incident in White City of an unwelcome visitor. But this time it was the homeowner who took action.
Several people were at a house near 1250 East and 10000 South when someone kept opening and closing the front door, Jaroscak said. A 32-year-old man who lives at the house confronted the man playing with the door and told him to leave, he said.
A fight at the door ensued, and the homeowner was hit in the face as the intruder forced his way in, Jaroscak said. The man then choked the homeowner before the homeowner grabbed a small pocketknife and stabbed the intruder in the stomach, he said.
Immediately after the stabbing, the homeowner attempted to give first aid. The 40-year-old victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
As of Saturday no arrests had been made. Jaroscak said detectives did not believe the homeowner was a flight risk, and the case might end up being one of self-defense.
Investigators wanted to interview some people first, however, before making that determination, including the person who initially called 911 but had left the house by the time detectives arrived, Jaroscak said.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com