Argument at fitness center ends in baseball bat attack

ESCONDIDO (CNS) - An argument between two men at an Escondido gym Tuesday turned into a baseball bat assault that sent one of them to a hospital, authorities said.

A bystander made a 911 call shortly after 9 a.m. to report the fracas outside LA Fitness in the 300 block of West El Norte Parkway in Escondido, according to police.

Witnesses told officers the dispute started as a quarrel inside the business, Sgt. Mike Graesser said.

The bickering men eventually made their way outside the gym, at which point one of them went to his car, retrieved a bat and attacked the victim with it, hitting him on the head at least once, Graesser said. The attacker then got into the vehicle, a black sedan, and drove off.

Medics took the victim to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

The assailant remained at large this afternoon, though police had "a pretty good idea who he is,'' according to Graesser, who noted that a witness videotaped the assault.

"We have some good leads,'' the sergeant said.