Landlord broke into WVC home and stabbed sleeping man, police say


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WEST VALLEY CITY — One man was stabbed multiple times and another arrested early Friday in what police believe is a possible landlord-tenant dispute.

Just before 3 a.m., a man asleep in the basement of a West Valley home near 2100 West and Apple Farms Drive (3700 South) was violently awakened by a man who had entered the house uninvited and seemingly undetected, said West Valley Police Sgt. Scott Arnold.

"The victim was asleep when he was awoken to an individual on top of him, attacking him," he said.

The victim was stabbed multiple times in the head and arms, according to Arnold. As the intruder was leaving, he fired one shot at the man, he said. The gunshot missed and did not injure anyone.

The shot woke up the people sleeping upstairs who called 911. The family member told police that he believed his uncle, who was the injured man in the basement, was shot.

"Through the course of our investigation we were able to determine the victim was actually stabbed not shot," Arnold said.

The victim was able to identify the attacker as his landlord, Arnold said. Detectives went to a residence in Herriman shortly after the attack and arrested Manhdrake Van Dang, 48, for investigation of attempted murder and aggravated burglary.

A motive for the attack was not immediately known, but Arnold said the victim was the intended target. How Dang got into the house was not clear, he said. There were no signs of forced entry into the house.

The man who was injured was hospitalized in serious condition.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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