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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 68-year-old man who was stabbed and hit in the head with a hammer multiple times last month in an apparently random attack died Tuesday.
Just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 28, Leslie Beus went outside of his West Valley home near 5600 West and 4800 South when 19-year-old Gerardo Enrique Perez attacked him with a knife and hammer, police reported.
Beus — who was put on life support following the attack — received skull fractures, resulting in doctors removing a portion of the skull.
Tuesday, West Valley City police confirmed that Beus had died as a result of his injuries.
Witnesses told police they saw Perez acting strangely, walking on Cape Vista Way carrying a knife and a hammer before the attack. A family member of Beus inside the home saw the attack outside, which ended inside the home, police said.
Perez fled a block eastbound from the scene, where he encountered another person, with whom he had a verbal conflict, police reported. He fled north, entered a home at 4479 S. 5360 West. Police entered the home and located Perez in the basement, a portion of which he rented.
Earlier in February, Perez was charged in connection with the case with attempted murder and aggravated burglary, first-degree felonies; obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; three counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; and interfering with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor.
The attempted murder charge could be amended by the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office to murder following Beus' death.
Contributing: Mike Anderson
