3 arrested in double stabbing at Heber City quinceañera

HEBER CITY — Three people have been arrested in a double stabbing at a quinceañera party in Heber City on Sunday, and police are looking for two more men.

David Gervacio, 22, Cristian Gervacio, 18, and Johnny Gervacio, 28, were each booked into the Wasatch County Jail for investigation of attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault, obstruction of justice and trespassing. Cristian Gervacio was also arrested on suspicion of drug possession.

About 11:40 p.m., officers were called to the Junction restaurant at 1268 S. U.S. 189.

“Upon arrival, I observed an unusually large crowd gathered at the business entrance. Inside, I located a Hispanic male seated on a chair with visible blood on his body and the surrounding area. The male had a laceration on his upper right arm,” an arresting officer wrote in one the police booking affidavits.

Officers treating the man discovered that he had also been stabbed in the abdomen.

“While tending to this victim, I overheard a Wasatch County deputy via radio advising that a second stabbing victim had also received a tourniquet to the leg,” the affidavit states.

Heber City police said two men, ages 34 and 21, had been stabbed. The man stabbed in the abdomen was flown by medical helicopter in critical condition to a hospital in Salt Lake City. The man stabbed in the leg was treated at the scene and later released.

Police learned that the stabbings happened during a private quinceañera birthday party being held at the restaurant, which was closed to the public at the time. A quinceañera is a traditional celebration in Latin American cultures for a girl’s 15th birthday.

Witnesses told police that four or five people drove off after the assaults.

“All five individuals unlawfully entered a closed business by forcefully pushing through a crowd at the entrance without permission,” the affidavit states. “Once inside, Jose Manuel Gervacio used a concealed weapon to stab victim No. 1 multiple times, causing critical, life-threatening injuries.”

As the group was leaving the restaurant, the second victim was punched in the face and stabbed in the leg, according to the affidavit.

Investigators say they recognized the description of the getaway vehicle “as possibly matching one involved in a DUI incident on July 19 where David and Johnny Gervacio were arrested,” the affidavit states. Detectives also reviewed surveillance video of the incident and observed five people attacking one of the victims.

Monday afternoon, “the Heber City Investigations Unit, in coordination with the Heber City and Wasatch County Joint SWAT Team, executed a search warrant at 1224 E. 110 North,” police stated. “Cristian, David, and Johnny Gervacio were all arrested during the search of the residence. Jose Gervacio is outstanding at this time. Officers are actively working on identifying the fifth suspect.”

“Multiple individuals with relevant information have declined to provide written statements out of fear of retaliation,” officers noted in their affidavits. “Jose Gervacio remains at large and is believed to be actively evading arrest with the help of family members.”