A father’s simple request for a group of young men to move out of the roadway at the Eastern Idaho State Fair allegedly triggered a brutal assault in which two suspects used brass knuckles to beat the dad and stomp on his juvenile son, leaving both victims bleeding significantly on the ground.
Background
The incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. on a Saturday during Labor Day weekend at the fairgrounds in Blackfoot, Idaho. Deputies from the Bingham County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a fight in progress and arrived to find the father and his son with severe injuries. According to arrest affidavits obtained by Law&Crime, the father was attempting to leave the event with his family when he encountered a group of individuals walking in the roadway, disrupting vehicle traffic. Motorists were honking their horns, and the father stated he told the group to get out of the road.
One of the suspects, identified as Kaleb Cutler, 22, allegedly confronted the father during the exchange, making what police described as "gang-related" comments. The father reportedly responded, "No one gives a s— about that, man." Affidavits state that Cutler then pulled out a set of silver-colored brass knuckles and began attacking the man. Another suspect, Papa Steven Sagapolutele, 21, allegedly joined the assault, also using brass knuckles against the father and his son.
The Charges
Papa Steven Sagapolutele and Kaleb Cutler are facing multiple charges, including aggravated battery with deadly-weapon enhancements, in connection with the assault. Sagapolutele is additionally charged with obstructing and delaying an officer, while Cutler faces charges of destruction of evidence and obstructing and delaying an officer. According to the affidavits, Cutler allegedly pushed the juvenile son against a vehicle, held him by the neck, threw him to the ground, and began stomping on his stomach. The father, who had fallen to the ground after being struck in the head, stated he repeatedly indicated he was done fighting before witnessing the attack on his son.
Deputies chased both suspects after arriving at the scene and took them into custody. Investigators recovered a set of brass knuckles with blood on them after witnessing Cutler attempt to dispose of the evidence while being detained. A third suspect, identified by police as Danion Hernandez, remained at large as of Thursday.
Key Takeaways
- The assault occurred at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot during Labor Day weekend.
- Victims were identified as a father and his juvenile son, both of whom were bleeding significantly upon police arrival.
- Suspects Kaleb Cutler and Papa Steven Sagapolutele allegedly used brass knuckles during the attack.
- The dispute began after the father asked a group blocking traffic to move out of the roadway.
- Deputies recovered bloodied brass knuckles after observing Cutler attempting to destroy evidence.
- Sagapolutele and Cutler face aggravated battery charges with deadly-weapon enhancements.
- A third suspect, Danion Hernandez, has not yet been apprehended.
- Preliminary hearings for the two arrested suspects are scheduled for Sept. 17.
What's Next
Papa Steven Sagapolutele and Kaleb Cutler are scheduled to appear in court for preliminary hearings on Sept. 17. Authorities continue to search for the third suspect, Danion Hernandez, who remains at large. The investigation is ongoing as the Bingham County Sheriff's Office reviews evidence, including the recovered brass knuckles, to determine the full scope of the charges and potential accomplices involved in the violent incident.
Bottom Line
While the term 'homicide' typically implies a fatality, CrimeBytes categorizes this severe 'deadly assault' under the homicide topic due to the life-threatening nature of the weapons used and the lack of a dedicated 'assault' category in our current schema.