Man booked for assault after attacks on random strangers in Taylorsville

TAYLORSVILLE – Investigators say they’re puzzled as to why a man attacked random strangers who were sitting in their cars in Taylorsville.

The first stabbing happened in the parking lot of the Planet Fitness on 5400 South near Redwood Road.  Unified Police Lieutenant Brian Lohrke says the victim was asleep in his car, waiting for the gym to open when the suspect approached.  “[He] knocked on the window and then opened the driver’s side door and demanded the vehicle and stabbed the victim in the hand and the shoulder with a screwdriver,” Lohrke says.

Roughly seven hours later, police were called to the scene of another stabbing at a park on 2700 West.  Lohrke says, “The screwdrivers, the description of the suspect, matched the suspect from the morning at Planet Fitness.”

Police spotted one of the stolen cars and later found the suspect, George DeLeon, walking along 3200 West.  After a short foot chase, DeLeon was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on, “Two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated robbery and resisting arrest,” Lohrke says.

Investigators don’t know why DeLeon reportedly went after random strangers, only to dump their cars a short distance away.  Lohrke says, “Normally, a lot of [attacks] are targeted, but, car-jackings can be very dangerous.  But, just the manner he was attacking his victims was very strange.”

He says officers are just happy the injuries from the stabbings weren’t more severe.