Utahn accused of attempted murder after family fight turns violent

Utahn accused of attempted murder after family fight turns violent

(Mike Radice, KSL TV, File)


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CLINTON — A 21-year-old Clinton man was arrested early Friday after a family fight turned violent.

Triston James Sausameda was booked into the Davis County Jail just before 12:30 a.m. for investigation of attempted murder and aggravated assault.

On Wednesday, Sausameda got into a fight with another family member after he and the family member’s wife exchanged verbal insults, according to a police affidavit.

The two men then “squared off in mutual combat,” according to the report.

The family member who fought with Sausameda left the scene before police arrived. But responding officers noticed a camera on the side of the house where the two were fighting and requested to see the video.

“You can see Triston begin to back up and come into view and pull out what looks like the knife observed on the ground, and hold it in his hand. Triston then engages with (the other man) who comes into view and they tangle up while grabbing each other to fight. At one point, you can see Triston attempt to punch (the man) in the stomach with the hand the knife is in, but it is unclear if the knife is pointing toward (the man) or away. I believe away from (the man) as you don’t see (him) react as if he were stabbed by a knife,” the affidavit states.

That man who got into a fight with Sausameda did not return the officers’ calls that night, the report states.

The last post on Sausameda’s Facebook page was made just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“Wow I gotta get out this family another huge problem for me,” the post states.

But on Thursday, the victim contacted police stating that he had new information he wanted to share, according to the affidavit. When he showed up at the Clinton police station, investigators learned he had received stitches for a 4-inch cut to his shoulder, according to the report.

“It should be noted that after the incident, I learned that there was a phone call between Triston and (the man) where Triston tells (him) that he had the knife in his hand the entire time. He also says that he sharpened his knife earlier in the day and was carrying the knife because he knew something was going to happen between them. (The man) also tells me that during the fight, he heard Triston say, ‘I have a knife, I’m going to kill you,’” the officer wrote in the report.

The threat to kill the man was overheard by a third person, according to police.

Investigators also learned that the victim went back to Sausamea’s house on Thursday to talk about what happened.

“While there, the conversation got to such a point that Triston pulled out a sword and threatened to kill (him). (The man) was successful in telling Triston to put the sword away and left shortly after this occurrence,” the report states.

Investigators later served a warrant on Sausemeda’s home and seized the sword.

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Pat Reavy, KSLPat Reavy
Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
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