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OREM — A fight between two roommates involving a meat cleaver and a gun resulted in critical injuries — including a severed ear — and an arrest over the weekend, according to police.
The violent confrontation occurred Saturday when Mackenzie Ulibarri, 30, got into a fight with 27-year-old Jordan Smith, according to a Utah County Jail probable cause report filed in 4th District Court.
"Witnesses stated Mackenzie became upset at Jordan as Jordan was intoxicated or impaired and singing too loud as to potentially offend the neighbors in the area," the report states.
Ulibarri would later tell police that "he had taken LSD with Jordan and they got into an altercation over Jordan repeating statements," according to the report.
Witnesses told police that shortly after the two men entered a house, 730 W. 350 South, several gunshots were heard, the report states. Ulibarri was seen running out the back door "covered in blood and leaving a trail of blood behind him," the report states.
Police found Smith in the entryway of home, also covered in blood. Doctors determined he was stabbed more than 20 times with a meat cleaver, according to the report. His injuries included "Mackenzie chopping off Jordan's ear, which was (sewn) back," the report states, and "cutting Jordan's wrist above the hand," which doctors said would most likely result in permanent damage, the report states.
After attending to Smith, investigators followed a trail of blood to 391 S. 700 West where Ulibarri was found in the basement. He told police that he was "scared because of Jordan's actions and grabbed his gun from his room" and then fired four rounds to try and scare Smith away, the report states. When that didn't work, Ulibarri said he grabbed a cleaver from the kitchen.
"Mackenzie stated he proceeded to confront Jordan with the cleaver where they got into a fight and Mackenzie hit Jordan with the cleaver multiple times. Mackenzie stated when Jordan was on the ground and trying to grab him to get up, he would keep hitting him over and over and over again," the report states.
When police asked what his intentions were, Ulibarri changed his answer midsentence, stating he wanted to "'kil … I was scared, so I hit him.' Our affiant asked Mackenzie about almost saying that he wanted to kill Jordan and Mackenzie stated he was just scared and kept hitting him," according to the report.
Ulibarri was arrested and booked into jail for investigation of attempted murder, assault, possession of a weapon by a restricted person, three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, firing a weapon in city limits, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and mayhem.
Police recovered four guns in Ulibarri's room, the report states.
