The pair attacked the victim at his Kearns home around 4:30 a.m. after a text-messaging squabble over a woman, according to probable cause statement filed with the jail.

Salt Lake County sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak said when the 17-year-old victim stepped outside of his home to smoke, he noticed a car parked across the street, but could not see inside. Then, two attackers jumped from the vehicle and ran after the 17-year-old - one was wielding the 30-inch-long battle ax; the other had a knife.

Jaroscak said the man with the ax hit the victim at least twice, once in the shoulder and once in the back of the neck. Meanwhile, the other man was stabbing him as he tried to get away.

The attackers fled when the victim was able to get inside his home and call for help, but the man needed more than 300 stitches to close his wounds, Jaroscak said.

While conducting an investigation at the victim's home in Kearns, a deputy noticed a necklace with a pendant, which he recognized as being associated with "Juggalos," as fans of the painted-face rappers Insane Clown Posse are known.

The deputy left the scene and went to Intermountain Medical Center, where the victim was being treated for his injuries, which Jaroscak said were deemed as serious to critical.

The deputy returned to the crime scene to wrap up his investigation and noticed a car that passed by had a Juggalo sticker displayed in the window that matched the pendant he had found. He stopped the car and detained one of the two alleged attackers.

Deputies also found the second alleged attacker's wallet in the car and later picked him up at his West Jordan home.

One of the two men told deputies he was jealous because the victim had exchanged text messages with his girlfriend. The alleged attacker said he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease from the girl, and he believed she had contracted it from the victim.

sgehrke@sltrib.com