A baseball bat, a bicycle and the state of California all have a surprising relevance to an arrest that was made Saturday by Provo Police.
A 22-year-old man was arrested after allegedly beating up a 57-year-old man with a baseball bat in a drug-related dispute near 245 W. 400 North in Provo.
Police arrived on the scene and found the victim bleeding from his mouth and the back of his head.
It was reported in the Provo police press release that the victim told police he had been assaulted with a baseball bat and the injuries sustained consisted of 'cuts on his face, several missing teeth, and a cut on the back of his head requiring stitches.'
Several witnesses to the incident said after the man assaulted the victim with a baseball bat, he quickly mounted himself on a small bicycle with his girlfriend and fled the scene.
Katrina Minor, a Provo resident who lives around the corner from where the incident took place, says that these types of incidents and some form of crime occur on a regular basis.
'We are never sure what's going to happen next,' Minor said. 'I just always pray that it's something that doesn't end in violence. I am so glad police responded quickly and were able to catch the guy they were looking for.'
The witnesses described the assailant in detail, including a playboy bunny tattoo on his left cheek. This distinctive tattoo gave police the details they needed to identify the assailant.
Police also knew of the suspect's alleged gang involvement and where to find his place of residence.
'When the officers went to the suspect’s house they found his bicycle in the front yard,' said Provo police Sgt. Brandon Post. 'His family insisted that he was not home, but after some negotiation (the suspect) surrendered himself for questioning.'
Jail records showed the man was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault. He also was being held as a fugitive without bail, wanted in regards to a California warrant for parole violation.