BASSETT — Two men beat a hydroponics store employee with a baseball bat and stabbed him repeatedly during an attack along Valley Boulevard Friday afternoon.
The incident, which deputies were investigating as an attempted murder, was first reported about 5:15 p.m. at a hydroponic supply store along Valley Boulevard, just west of Seventh Avenue, in the unincorporated county area of Bassett, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
Paramedics were first summoned to the scene by reports of an injured man bleeding from the head, Sgt. Mark Stonich of the sheriff’s Industry Station said. The rescuers contacted police after realizing the man was the victim of an assault.
“These two (attackers) used a baseball bat, hands and feet and possibly a knife,” Stonich said. “He had several puncture wounds in his back.”
The employee first received a phone call just before 5 p.m. from a man asking whether the store was open, and whether is carried a particular type of light bulb, Stonich said. The employee responded that the store did carry the bulb in question.
About 15 minutes later, the employee noticed two men standing in front of the store, pacing and carrying a bag, the sergeant said.
They entered the store, pulled a baseball bat from the bag and ordered the employee to exit the store, Stonich said. They then attacked the man.
Paramedics took the injured employee to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with stable vital signs, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Larry Duran said. He was expected to survive.
The motive in the attack was not clear, Stonich said. There were no indications anything had been stolen.
The badly injured man managed to give deputies a description of his attackers before being rushed to the a hospital for treatment, the sergeant said. “He recognized one of their voices as person who had called on the phone.”
One of the assailants was a white man of about 6 feet tall, wearing a blue shirt and gray pants, Stonich said. The other was an Asian man of about 5 feet 6 inches tall and wearing all black clothing.
Not eyewitnesses to the attack had been found Friday afternoon, however witnesses did confirm seeing men matching the descriptions given by the victim and carrying a baseball bat in the area around the time of the incident.
The motive in the crime was not immediately clear, Stonich said. “We don’t know if a robbery occurred at this time.”
The investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Industry Station at 626-330-3322.