The victim, whose name is not being released, was folding his clothes with his girlfriend around 5 p.m. Sunday, when a man came up behind him and hit him in the back with an unidentified object, police said.

The victim realized he had been stabbed once in the back, and the suspect ran out the rear door of the Century Cleaning Barn at 900 West and North Temple.

Salt Lake City police spokeswoman Lara Jones said the three might have been involved in a love triangle.

The stabber was described as a Latino man about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. He had black hair and was wearing a white or gray sweatshirt and blue jeans, police said.

The victim was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, but later was upgraded to fair condition.

- Steve Gehrke