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Lake Stevens homeowner assaulted during break-in

Lake Stevens police are searching for two men who reportedly broke into a home and severely beat a 66-year-old man. The incident happened between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday.

Police admit they have very little to go on in this case.

They say the two assailants were able to get away from the home along the 800 block of 99th Avenue Southeast because it is remote. KIRO 7’s cameras visited the area and the stretch of road had hardly any lights. Police say there are no traffic cameras in the area. There are also are not many houses and it's ringed by woods.

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According to police, the two men entered through an unlocked door and found the 66 year old homeowner in an upstairs bedroom. They demanded money. The homeowner was unable to give any and was assaulted. The homeowner was able to call 911. The police say the weapon used to assault the man was found.

Mike Fear lives on the block and has been in regular communication with the victim since the incident. He says the assailants used his neighbor's own baseball bat to assault him.

“They could care less whether they killed him or not, full swing of the baseball bat. Full sized baseball bat and he said that he fell back and said, I'm dyin',” Fear said.

Fear says he decided to check in on his neighbor. “I've been talking to him since he got out of the hospital, and the police said this is happening more and more and more.”

Fear said the area is considered safe but he also replied with a hint of sarcasm when asked if 99th Avenue was the type of area where people could leave their doors unlocked.

“Where is that area? Is that, like, I don't think that's in the United States anymore,” Fear said.

Despite the near total darkness and low density of homes, Fear says people feel safe walking around at night near 99th Avenue. He considers the attack on his neighbor an anomaly.  Commander Jeffery Beazizo of the Lake Stevens police said the encounter turned violent when the two suspects didn't get any money.

“He (the victim) ended up with a severe laceration on the forehead both front and back...right now we don't have a description or anything of the suspects,” Beazizo said.

Fear says he spoke to detectives and is keeping an eye out, but can't imagine why anyone would hit his 66-year-old neighbor except that maybe it seemed easy to the two assailants.

“That's evil ... to do that to anybody for what?”

Police say they want to talk to anyone who saw or heard anything around 1 a.m. Sunday or anyone who knows about the attack.