Utash, Victim of Mob Violence, Will be Transferred to Rehab Center

Steven Utash, the 54-year-old Clinton Township man who was beat nearly to death in an April 2 mob attack on Detroit’s east side, is being transferred to a rehabilitation center, according to an update posted by his daughter on the Go Fund Me site established for contributions to offset the uninsured tree trimmer’s medical bills.

Utash’s daughter, Mandi Marie Emerick, said her father was evaluated from a doctor from the Detroit Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan and was accepted for treatment at the 94-bed inpatient facility.

She said RIM is a top rehab center that specializes is neurological damage and memory injuries.

“I am beyond excited to have him out of the ICU and into a setting where everyone is dedicated to his success,” she wrote. “I hope with time … he will regain his personality and memories, as well as his motor skills.”

Relatives have said that Utash, who was beaten when he stopped to assist a 10-year-old boy he’d accidentally struck with his pickup truck on April 2, has difficulty understanding what is going on or how the accident occurred.

“The recovery journey has begun and we are all hoping for the best,” she wrote. “Please continue to send good vibes to our family; your support has been overwhelming and appreciated. Thank you all so very much.”

To date, about $185,545 has been raised from 4,540 donors on the Go Fund Me site. The family has also set up a Facebook page.

August trial dates have been set for four adults charged in the beating. They appeared in Wayne County Circuit Court Monday and their bonds were reduced – from $500,000 to $100,000 for defendants Bruce Wimbush Jr., 17, and James Davis, 24, and from $500,000 to $25,000 for Latrez Cumings, 19, on the condition that he wear a GPS tracking tether, the Detroit News said.