A man was arrested after police say he stabbed the owner of a Los Banos Jiu-Jitsu business on Monday night.
Scott Savage, a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, was stabbed in his neck and torso while at his self-defense school in Los Banos. While he recovers from his injuries he is unable to work, threatening both his livelihood and the future of his school.
The stabbing happened at around 7 pm at the Scott Savage Jiu Jitsu Academy on Mercey Springs Road near Santa Rita Avenue.
Savage’s family says he was attacked from behind, catching him off guard in the middle of an evening class.
People who witnessed the assault tried to chase after Grimes.
The suspect fled from the area – but witnesses knew where he lived and passed that information on to officers.
The instructor was flown to a nearby hospital after sustaining several stab wounds.
Fellow business owners reacting to the news of Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Scott Savage being stabbed.
“Their involvement by being good witnesses was instrumental in this individual being apprehended as quickly as he was,” said Justin Melden with the Los Banos Police Department.
The Los Banos Police Department says 25-year-old Reginald Scott Grimes Jr. has been arrested in what they’re calling an unprovoked attack.
Grimes was booked into the Los Banos Jail on an attempted murder charge.
Police say Grimes is a former student of Savage.
Detectives are still trying to piece together what led up to the attack.
Business neighbor Donna Koblis has been in the shopping center for over 20 years.
She is hoping Savage will be able to recover and go back to his passion for teaching.
“Everyone really likes him, and I couldn’t see anyone really doing that to him, he’s always very friendly,” said Koblis.
While Savage recovers in the hospital, his students and assistant instructors say they plan to reopen “Scott Savage Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” and help facilitate the income the school generates to cover the expenses it costs to keep it open.
Savage’s family says he is in stable condition but has a long recovery ahead.
They have set up a donation page to help during this heartbreaking time.
The GoFundme States the following:
“Scott Savage is a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt who owns and operates a BJJ school “Scott Savage Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” in Los Banos, CA. On the evening of Monday August 5th 2024 he was brutally assaulted by a surprise attack from behind with a knife in his school, sustaining multiple stabbing injuries to his neck and torso, being left in critical condition and needing medivac helicopter transport to nearby medical facilities.
He is currently in stable condition, and expected to make it through, but it will be a long and difficult road to rehabilitate his physical condition, and deal with the mounting medical expenses incurred by this horrific event.
Scott’s sole income was through the operation of the school, tirelessly teaching classes day in and day out, and now that ability to run the school is jeopardized by this incident.
Thanks to loving and helpful students, the school, after a brief closure will reopen and be run by students/assistant instructors who love and care for Scott, helping to facilitate the continual income the school generates to cover the expenses it costs to run the school allowing it to stay open for all those who utilize its services, as well as bringing in income to help Scott to continue to cover his personal bills.
But as a Jiu-Jitsu instructor & gym owner with insufficient medical coverage to cover the costs incurred by enduring such a horrific incident as this one, we are asking the jiu-jitsu community, BJJ practitioners from far & wide who love the art of Jiu-Jitsu, and who understand the hardships of making a living through the sport, to help in the effort to ease the burden of the mounting medical bills resulting from this senselessly violent act.
With sincere regards,
Scott Savage Team”
