Loveland Tanning Salon Victim Stabbed Hammer-Wielding Attacker with His Own Knife in Self-Defense, Affidavit Reveals

LOVELAND, Colorado — Newly released court documents detail the harrowing acts of self-defense that occurred during a brutal hammer attack at Endless Summer Tanning on December 9, 2025, revealing that a critically injured employee managed to stab the suspect with his own knife to halt the assault.

Affidavit Outlines Violent Confrontation

According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in Larimer County Court, 20-year-old Kyle Matthew Behrens entered the salon at 1518 Madison Avenue and initiated a violent, unprovoked assault on a 21-year-old employee. The suspect struck the employee in the head with a hammer more than 15 times. In a bid to survive, the employee managed to flee into a back room where a customer was present and locked the door, while Behrens attempted to barricade the front entrance to prevent escape.

The affidavit details that Behrens used the hammer to breach the locked door of the room where the employee and customer were hiding. Upon entering, he pulled out a knife, threatening to escalate the already life-threatening assault.

Desperate Self-Defense and Disarming

Faced with a deadly threat, both the employee and the customer fought back. During a chaotic struggle, the victims managed to temporarily disarm Behrens. The employee, despite suffering severe head trauma from the hammer blows, was able to seize the suspect's knife and stab him in self-defense. This act of resistance slowed the suspect's assault long enough for Loveland Police officers to arrive.

Emergency Intervention and Arrest

Officers arrived within three minutes of the emergency call, finding Behrens still attempting to overpower the victims despite his stab wounds. Officers apprehended Behrens at the scene. Both victims were hospitalized, with the employee undergoing treatment for severe head injuries. Behrens was also treated for his stab wounds before being booked into the Larimer County Jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree burglary.