A Phoenix man had the tables turned on him Friday night after the people he was trying to rob took a baseball bat to his face.
Phoenix police say 33-year-old Justin James Pare broke into an apartment in North Phoenix through an open kitchen window while wearing a skeleton mask. When he got in, Pare demanded money from a 29-year-old victim who was in the apartment.
The victim, who was not identified, initially thought the man who barged into his apartment was joking until the intruder pulled out a pistol and told him "don't move or I'll shoot."
That's when police say the victim ran out of the apartment and into a courtyard area of the complex, where a Halloween party was going on.
Pare followed him into the courtyard, where neighbors were partying, and began demanding money from them, too.
Pare hit a 32-year-old victim in the head with the gun, which turned out to be a terrible idea.
The original victim, who was chased out of his apartment by Pare, got away from the masked suspect and found himself a baseball bat that he used to rearrange parts of Pare's head and face.
As Pare was in the process of trying to rob the people in the courtyard, the 29-year-old victim cracked him in the head with the bat, causing him to drop the two guns he had in his possession -- then it was party time.
According to police, the people at the party then took turns beating on the would-be robber with the bat and a 2x4 until someone called 911.
Pare managed to get himself out of the courtyard and into the parking lot of the apartment complex, where he fled in a 2007 Dodge Nitro. He was located by the Phoenix Police Air Support Unit and taken into custody.
Pare's failed robbery attempt left him with a fractured skull and severe injuries to his nose.
After being taken into custody, Pare was moved to John C. Lincoln hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.
A Phoenix Police Department spokesman assigned to the case could not be reached for comment this afternoon, and Sergeant Trent Crump tells New Times he doesn't know whether the victims in the case will be charged with any crimes.
