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Utah man running naked through traffic was tortured, police say; suspect arrested

Police have arrested a man after he allegedly tortured another man, who escaped and ran naked through traffic before being rescued by patrol officers.

The victim told police that on Thursday, he went to the Allstar Motel at 754 W. North Temple to “use drugs” with other people when he was attacked, his clothes torn off, and he was assaulted and burned.

The victim escaped when a motel employee went to the room because of a noise complaint, and the victim “ran out of the room and onto North Temple, nearly getting hit by a car.” Utah Highway Patrol officers responded to reports of a naked man running through traffic in the area of 300 North and I-15 and discovered the victim’s “nose and face … covered in blood and welts” and “blood, scrapes and burn marks all over his upper body.” The victim was “bleeding out of his ear” and “very scared.”

According to a probable cause statement, Salt Lake City police officers went to the motel room to investigate and “found it in disarray, with blood and obvious signs of a struggle.”

On Sunday, police located and arrested the suspect, a 37-year-old man. He was booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of kidnapping and aggravated assault. His bail was set at $250,000.

The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not name suspects who have not yet been charged with a crime.

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