The victim says his roommate was drunk, angry over repeatedly losing money on the lottery and worried about what Trump will do as president.

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WEBVTT BOB.REPORTER: THE VICTIM AND HISACCUSED ATTACKER BOTH LIVEDTOGETHER IN AN APARTMENT HERE ONAMBER STREET, IN EAST LIBERTY.BOTH MEN ARE FROM MEXICO.THE ALLEGED VICTIM SAYS HISACCUSED ATTACKER WAS IN A RAGEOUT OF CONCERN OVER WHAT MAY BECOMING FOR HIM UNDER PRESIDENTTRUMP.HE SAYS HIS ROOMMATE WAS DRUNK,ANGRY OVER LOSING MONEY ON THELOTTERY, AND WORRIED ABOUT WHATDONALD TRUMP WILL DO ASPRESIDEN HE SAYS HIS ATTACKERWORRIED THAT PRESIDENT TRUMPWOULD FORCE HIM BACK TO MEXICO.WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT DONALDTRUMP.>> DONALD TRUMP SAY HE GOING TOTAKE OVER -- INAUDIBLE ]REPORTER: TO SEND IMMIGRANTS OUTOF THE COUNTRY.>> YES.REPORTER: HE SAYS HIS ROOMMATEBROKE HIS FINGER, PUSHED HIMDOWN THE STAIRS AND CHOMPED OFFA CHUNK OF HIS EAR[INAUDIBLE]HE BYTES AND --REPORTER: A PIECE OF YOUR EARCAME OFF.>> YEAH.REPORTER: HE SAYS IT WAS WHENHIS ROOMMATE WENT FOR A KNIFETHAT HE WAS ABLE TO RUN OUT TO ANEARBY GAS STATION AND CALL FORHELP.>> HE SAYS I GOING TO KILL YOU.BUT HE GOES LIKE STEAK KNIFE, ISWHEN I GOT -- I RUN AWAY.REPORTER: HE SAYS HE DOES NOTSHARE HIS ROOMMATE'S FEELINGSABOUT TRUMP.HE WAS MAD ABOUT DONALD TRUMPYOU WER NOT.>> BECAUSE HE IS --[INAUDIBLE]REPORTER: PITTSBURGH POLICE SAYTHE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING.THEY HAVE NOT RELEASED THE NAMEOF THE ACCUS ATTACKER'S

Advertisement Police: Man bites off ear during fight over President Donald Trump in East Liberty The victim says his roommate was drunk, angry over repeatedly losing money on the lottery and worried about what Trump will do as president. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Pittsburgh police say part of an East Liberty man's right ear was bitten off by his roommate Monday morning during what investigators describe as an argument over President Donald Trump. "He want(ed) to kill me. He('s) going crazy," said 30-year-old Salatiel Marcos Ortiz. Ortiz told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that his roommate -- whose name has not been released by police -- was drunk, angry over repeatedly losing money on the lottery and worried about what Trump will do as president. Ortiz said that he and his roommate are from Mexico, and that the roommate feared Trump would force him and other immigrants out of the United States. "He is paying his money on lottery, and now Donald Trump say, anybody got to go," Ortiz said. Ortiz said the roommate broke his finger, pushed him down a flight of stairs and chomped off a chunk of his ear at their Amber Street apartment. "He take my ear and he bite it," Ortiz said. When the roommate went for a knife, Ortiz was able to run to a nearby gas station and seek help, he said. "He tell me, 'Don't move, because I gonna kill you,'" Ortiz said. "When he goes, like, (to) take (the) knife is when I knew the chance and run away." Police responded to a 911 call at Sunoco on Baum Boulevard, where Ortiz had fled for help. Officers retrieved the ear from the apartment, and paramedics took him to UPMC Presbyterian for treatment. The roommate had already fled, Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Schaffer said. Police said the investigation is ongoing.