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Follow up: Investigation into student's attack continues
Letter: Baker is less than reliable
While attending a party at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house on Jan. 12, Katie Baker told The Chronicle she was the victim of "a random act of violence" when she was punched in the face by a man she had met only 15 seconds earlier.
Baker, a sophomore majoring in exercise and sports science, said she approached the unidentified man at approximately 11:30 p.m. in an attempt to track down her lost cell phone. Baker said the man initially seemed interested in helping her. Moments later, she was left with four fractures and two facial lacerations that required seven stitches.
The Chronicle's several attempts to contact possible witnesses from Pi Kappa Alpha and members of Greek Row were unsuccessful.
According to the police report, Salt Lake Police Department officers Cade Martin and Thomas Vu arrived at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at 2:06 a.m. The two officers were dispatched at 1:21 a.m., which is nearly two hours after Baker said she was assaulted.
Baker, who is 21, said she started her Saturday night by having two alcoholic drinks with a group of friends before making the short walk from her apartment just below Rice-Eccles Stadium on 1300 East to a party on University Avenue. Baker estimated that she arrived at the party with a group of friends between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Although Baker admitted being "slightly tipsy" at the party, she said she did not accept any of the alcohol being offered. According to the police report, Baker still smelled of alcohol and was slurring her speech when officers arrived on the scene.
Baker recounted socializing at the party until she noticed her cell phone missing at approximately 11:15 p.m. and began a casual search of the house. Approximately 15 minutes later, Baker said she asked a man-whom Baker described as a 6-foot-tall, 230-lb. black man with a muscular build-if he had seen her cell phone. Moments later, Baker said, the only thing preventing her from being knocked to the floor was a nearby pool table.
"I look around and nobody's doing anything, and then I feel blood just pouring down my face," Baker said.
According to the police report, "there is not one individual who stated that they saw the actual assault take place." The name given to the police was redacted from the report due to confidentiality issues.
Baker said her eye was swollen shut and blood began flowing freely from her face from the moment she was hit. , she then ran upstairs to the bathroom, she said.
"By the time I got up there, the whole front of my shirt, my jeans and both my arms down to my elbow, (were) covered in blood," Baker said.
Baker said she did nothing to provoke the man, but does remember a rumor going around the party that she had used a racial slur toward blacks. She denies making the comment.
"As far as I know, and I trust my memory of that night, I did absolutely nothing to provoke this," Baker said.
She said that approximately 20 people were in the room when she got punched and that she was surprised nobody did anything immediately to help her or apprehend her alleged attacker.
"To be in a room with 20-plus people that see this happen and do anything, that is 21-plus people who have no morals and no ethics," Baker said. "That disgusts me and scares me a lot that you can allow this to happen and not say anything."
Baker admitted that more than one person offered to take her to the hospital. Baker declined all invitations, saying that there was no way to tell who was sober enough to drive. Baker said that a Utah football playerÂ-whose name she declined to offer-made sure medical attention was on the way and rode in the ambulance with her to the U Hospital.
"He's my god," Baker said. "I owe him so much. He was the only person willing to help, and I just find that disgusting that out of the whole party only one person was willing to help."
Baker was released at approximately 7 a.m. the next day following several tests and an observation period. She said she had a follow-up appointment at the Moran Eye Institute on Monday.
Although Baker is still apprehensive about going out in public, she said she wants to find the man who hit her and has obtained legal counsel. Baker said the police department has not helped her.
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity president Joey Lambert said the fraternity has been conducting an investigation into the matter in conjunction with U administrators and police, but declined to further comment on the specifics of the incident, citing potential legal ramifications.
Jay Wilgus, who is the assistant dean of students said Lambert was on vacation when the incident occurred, but one of the fraternity's vice presidents was present.
Lambert, who is a junior majoring in finance, said in a statement that the suspect is a "non-greek member" and the incident "is in no way characteristic, common or tolerable by our organization or the Greek Community as a whole. Our most sincere condolences go out to Katie."
Although Lambert says he has spent many hours interviewing people present at the party, he said he had no solid leads as of Tuesday night. As the greek adviser, Wilgus said he is content with the way Lambert and the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity handled the situation.
Wilgus said the Jan. 12 party at the Pi Kappa Alpha house was unregistered. According to a 1987 Salt Lake City zoning ordinance, parties hosting more than 60 guests must keep a list of all guests. Because the party on Jan. 12 likely did not surpass 60 guests, said Wilgus, there was no guest list.
"It's frustrating not having the name because that would help Katie, that would help us, that would help the story, everything," Wilgus said. "We just don't have it."
Baker said no charges have been filed at this point. Anyone with information regarding the suspect is encouraged to contact Wilgus at 581-8061.
Baker said that helping even one person avoid what she went through will make it all worth it.
"The biggest thing for me is I want just to help a girl not get in this situation," Baker said. "Or a girl who's, like, already been punched in the face, I want her to see that I was able to make it through, and she can too."
t.pizza@chronicle.utah.edu
