Family of badly beaten Bellevue man pleads for public's help

SEATTLE — On Thursday evening, JD Aylward spent his fifth night in intensive care. Detectives are still working to find out what happened and how the young man ended up left for dead in downtown

Bellevue last weekend.

KIRO 7's Alison Grande spoke with Aylward's mother outside of Harborview Medical Center. Aylward's mother has gathered with other loved ones at the hospital since Sunday.

She said she wants the public to see what's happened to her son in hopes that someone knows who did it.

"I just wanted to hug him. He's all strapped in to these machines," Aylward said.

Aylward was found in the middle of 140th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue.   His brain is swelling, his body badly injured.

Detectives don't know what happened, and neither does his family.

Aylward was out with friends last Saturday night. They say he left Munch Bar in Bellevue and texted his roommate he was getting a ride home.

There was a period from 2 and 4 in the morning where nobody knows where he was or what was happening.

Police said a driver spotted him unconscious and bleeding in the middle of the road near 12th and 140th Ave NE in Bellevue and called 911. His family wants to know if this is random or if the attack was done by

someone he knows or someone he was with that night.

Aylward graduated from Sammamish High School and played football as Boise State. He works at The Pro Fitness Club.

The once athletic strong young man is now in a medically induced coma.His family and friends have gathered in his room each night.

Loved ones say doctors removed part of Aylward's skull to allow his brain to swell.

If you saw Aylward Saturday night or early Sunday morning and have any information you think could help investigators, call the Bellevue Police Department.

KIRO