No arrests in Sutton beating

SUTTON -- In the wake of a brutal beating of a young Native man, the residents of Chickaloon and Sutton were left shaken but are using the incident to focus on programs to help young people.

Police are investigating what some have called a racially-motivated hate crime in Sutton after Brian Blubaugh, 36, was brutally beaten with a two-by-four and left in an abandoned house on Christmas Eve.

Alaska State Troopers received a call just before 4 a.m. Dec. 24 from a resident saying that a severely injured man had knocked on the door of his home and asked for help. Brian Blubaugh received first aid at the scene, then was transported to Valley Hospital where he was initially listed in critical condition. He had crawled or walked 200 yards in below-zero cold, over snow and frozen ground to get to help, said George Cordero, chief peace officer for the Chickaloon Village Tribal Council.

Troopers and Cordero have taken information from young people present at a drinking party that night in the abandoned home.

"We've received some solid information and identified the suspects, but no arrests have been made yet," Cordero said.

The community outrage over what happened that night has helped the investigation, Cordero said.

"People here are really upset about what happened," he said. "They aren't turning their backs on this."

In the past, individuals have fought and gotten into trouble drinking, but the Sutton area hasn't in recent memory had an incident of this magnitude, Cordero said.

Blubaugh's parents, Forest and Betty Blubaugh, told the Frontiersman that three young men arrived at their home at 11:30 p.m., the night before as they were all sleeping. They believe the young men broke into their home to wake up Brian.

The young men introduced themselves to Betty Blubaugh, and said they wanted to buy a vehicle from Brian Blubaugh, then allegedly took him off to "discuss business," Betty Blubaugh said.

Sometime between then and the early morning hours, Brian was taken to an abandoned trailer on Grand Avenue in Sutton. The trailer, a broken-down van and a shack, are known to the young people of the area as shelter for parties, Cordero said. Apparently, Blubaugh's attackers and others drinking that night were in the trailer and may have witnessed the crime.

Though initially the atmosphere appeared to be one of social drinking, at some point Blubaugh was beaten with a log and a two-by-four. The suspects then poured hot wax over his head and face, Cordero said.

"There are overtones in this that we are not comfortable with," Cordero said. "This doesn't fit the profile of assault or robbery. It looks like a hate crime. The troopers are investigating, and we are taking this very seriously. We're not facing a crime like this and saying, 'there's nothing we can do about it.'"

At 5 a.m. Dec. 24 Forest and Betty Blubaugh were notified by the hospital that their son was in the emergency room, treated for multiple facial and rib fractures and internal injuries. He remained hospitalized until New Year's Eve, when his parents were able to bring him home.

Since then, the abandoned trailer on Grand Avenue was the focus of some clean-up effort. And Cordero, who conducts a talking circle for young people, said the event has helped him open discussions that have had a positive effect.

"A lot of them say they don't have anything to do here except go walking or drinking," Cordero said. "I found out several had never been on a moose hunt. We decided we could take them moose hunting, teach them survival skills."

Another community member took six 13- to 18-year-olds to see the "Lord of the Rings" as another healthy outing, Cordero said.

A community center whose roof leaks was identified as a fixer-upper the youths could claim for themselves as a place to hold dances.

Brian Blubaugh suffers some long-term injuries from the beating, Cordero said. He still has a broken ear drum, and will need to undergo surgery for lung injuries.