Pubdate: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 BUY NOW, PAY LATER LEADS TO NEAR-DEATH BEATING Mounties On Hunt For Quartet Behind Drug-Debt Rampage Mounties are still seeking the four men whose boots and clubs brought a Kamloops man and woman to the brink of death Thursday night. Two adults, a man and woman believed to be in their early 30s, remain in serious but stable condition in Royal Columbian Hospital, recovering from numerous broken bones and lacerations. Const. Dave Kelly of the Kamloops RCMP's rural detachment told KTW the home invasion was drug-related. "It was a messy scene," Kelly said of the brutal beating. "It seems to be a collection of a drug debt, basically a buy now, pay later deal." As of press deadline, it was unknown whether the drug debt was connected to marijuana or harder drugs like cocaine and heroin. As to the severity of the victims' injuries, Kelly said "it could have gone either way." The beatings took place at just past 11 p.m. Wednesday when four men used pepper spray and clubs to force their way into a house in the 700-block of East Shuswap Road. Once inside, the quartet forced two adults to the floor before searching for and finding the man and woman they were targetting. The man and woman were then beaten with clubs, suffering severe injuries. The first two occupants of the home confronted by the intruders were not injured. Kelly said the four people in the house, including the two beating victims, are known to police. The Mounties were called to the house by paramedics, who were first called to the scene. Witnesses to the carnage were able to give police descriptions of two of the assailants. One man stood about six feet tall, had a shaved head with reddish-blonde hair and was husky. He has many tattoos, was unshaven and had a husky voice. He was in his late 30s or early 40s and was wearing black gloves and a white muscle shirt with a black dress shirt over top blue jeans. He was also possibly wearing boots and a ball cap turned backward. The second man was possibly native, in his 30s and stood about five-foot-six. He was wearing a dark jacket and a baseball cap. Anybody with information on the home invasion is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine