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BOUNTIFUL — One man is dead and another was arrested for investigation of murder Wednesday after police say an altercation in front of a Bountiful home turned deadly.
Heneli "Henry" Kalainisi Kaufusi, 35, was arrested after Bountiful police found a man with severe head injuries about 12:45 p.m. in front of a home near 3500 S. Lexington Drive.
The two men were near a vehicle by the front yard of the home when officers arrived, said Bountiful Police Lt. Dave Edwards. The fight had moved from the yard into the street, he said.
An ambulance and medical helicopter were called to the scene, and first responders treated the wounded man, but he died before he could be transported to a hospital, Edwards said.
Someone driving by reportedly called 911 and said the men were fighting and that one was on top of the other.
The man who was killed had an ex-wife and four children living at the home with Kaufusi, including an infant, Edwards said. He was apparently visiting from California. His name wasn't immediately released.
"We don't know exactly what caused this. We believe that he may have been coming here to visit his children," he said.
Officers examined evidence at the scene and tried to get information about what happened from Kaufusi.
"He really didn't give us much information," Edwards said.
Edwards didn't say whether a weapon was used in the attack or whether the two men had a history with each other. The state medical examiner's office will assist in the investigation into the death, he said.
Edwards said he isn't sure the last time the Bountiful Police Department has dealt with a homicide case.
"It's unusual for us to have homicides here in Bountiful," he said.
Neighbors said they saw Kaufusi on the ground while officers surrounded him with their guns drawn. Booking photos show Kaufusi is about 6 foot three inches tall.
Travis Gurney, who lives nearby, said he knows Kaufusi's family.
"As a neighbor, he was always a really nice guy," Gurney said. "He has two younger daughters that would play with my kids quite often."
Gurney said he was stunned to learn about what allegedly happened.
"It's pretty surreal. It's shocking to see someone that you know and consider a neighbor, to see them that in that position," he said.
Gurney said he and Kaufusi have both only lived in the neighborhood about a year.
Contributing: Jed Boal, Brianna Bodily
