SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Jake Allred and Salt Lake City Police are getting closer to finding the man who smashed a glass against Jake's head, leaving him hospitalized for two days.
"I do believe we are getting close," said Jake. "We have a few good leads, more than anything, though, we need the help of anyone who was there or anyone who knows the person."
Jake was attacked on the night of July 6 at Maxwell's in downtown Salt Lake City. He says a couple of girls were dancing in front of him when a "man came up” and said something about the girls being “tens.” Allred says he didn’t know the man and didn’t know the girls so he was “a little hesitant” but then said, “I don't really know them, but I guess they're pretty cute." He says the man then looked at him and called him a homophobic slur.
Allred, who is not gay, says he was stunned and confused. "I looked at him to see what he was going to do and he immediately smashed his glass against my head." "I put my hand on my head. I felt his drink and blood just spurting from the wound."
Allred was seriously injured and losing a lot of blood - two and a half liters to be exact. Allred had three severed arteries and would end up losing two and half liters of blood. He had more than a dozen internal stitches and 26 external stitches to repair the damage to his head. He spent nearly two days in the hospital.
"I think the best thing would be for him to come forward," Jake told ABC4's Emerson Lotzia. "That way he can start repairing some of the damage that he's done now and we can all move on."
Since being attacked, live has been difficult at times for Jake.
"It's really hard to sleep at night," he said. "I spend every waking hour trying to find ways of helping this person come forward and find ways of putting my life back together."
Jake's hired a lawyer but everyone's first priority is finding the man who split his head wide open. Jake wants justice, but he also doesn't want anyone else getting hurt.
"There's no question that this person is a dangerous individual," Jake said. "Who knows how many people he's hurt in the past or how many people he may hurt in the future. We are going to find out who he is."
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Jake is currently between jobs and without health insurance. A fund has been set up in his name at America First Credit Union to help Jake pay for medical costs.
