Robbers used dumbbells, sword in attack, police say

Posted by crimeblog

Posted: January 8, 2009 - 1:21 pm

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Three men are accused of viciously beating another man with boards, dumbbells and pipes, then putting a katana sword to his throat and threatening to cut his head off if he reported the crime, according to Anchorage police.

Nicholas Richards, 20, Spencer Ballenger, 19, and a juvenile whose name was not released were arrested on charges of first-degree assault and robbery in connection with the drug-motivated attack that took place early Wednesday, police said.

A woman in the 3200 block of Tarwater Avenue called police at about 2:15 a.m. to report a man had come to her door “covered in blood,” police said.

The victim, Jared Sukert, 20, lives in a neighboring apartment and told police he was awakened by a fight over marijuana between his roommate, Rondale Toms, and an unknown man.

The roommate left the apartment to get medical attention, and, while he was away, a group of men showed up looking for Toms, police said.

Three of the men, whom Sukert didn’t know, attacked him, police said. At one point, an assailant held the sword to Sukert’s throat and threatened to cut his head off, police said.

The men departed for a short time, but one soon returned and tried to beat Sukert unconscious, leaving him with multiple serious injuries, police said.

Later, just before 10 p.m., officers responding to a report of a stolen vehicle at a Minnesota Drive billiards parlor found the men who matched the suspect description, police said.

Richards and Ballenger were booked at the Anchorage jail with bail set at $25,000, police said. The juvenile was booked into McLaughlin Youth Center.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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