Utah man with machete accused of assaulting boys walking home from basketball
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Pat Reavy, KSL
SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — A man armed with a machete was arrested Saturday night in Salt Lake City and accused of robbing a couple of teenagers walking home from playing basketball.
Anthony Ray Turnbow, 18, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of two counts of aggravated robbery, seven counts of aggravated assault and two counts of assault.
Seven teenage boys were walking in the area of 1500 West and 600 South at about 9 p.m. to go to a friend’s house after playing basketball when Turnbow confronted them, “brandished a large machete” and threatened the teens, according to a police booking affidavit.
The seven victims started running and Turnbow “ended up chasing all seven of the victims with the machete in his hand. (He) attempted to swing at the victims but never made any contact,” the affidavit states.
The boys eventually split up. Turnbow, however, found two of the boys hiding in a backyard.
“(Turnbow) admitted he raised the machete at this point and forced the victims out and onto their knees. (He) told the victims to empty their pockets,” according to the affidavit.
Turnbow grabbed the wallets of the two boys he confronted and then “assaulted them both, causing minor injuries,” according to the affidavit. Police say the machete was not used in that assault.
After he was taken into custody, police listened to a recording of the 911 call made by the boys and could hear Turnbow in the background making his threats, the affidavit states.
Police are investigating whether Turnbow has any prior history with any of the boys.