Vernal man charged with attempted murder in brutal attack on estranged wife

VERNAL — A Vernal man was charged Friday with brutally attacking his estranged wife.

Jesus Jose Trevizo, 26, was booked into the Uintah County Jail Wednesday and charged Friday in 8th District Court with attempted aggravated murder and aggravated burglary, first-degree felonies; mayhem, a second-degree felony; plus two counts of domestic violence in the presence of children, two counts of violating a protective order and causing property damage, all third-degree felonies.

On Wednesday, Vernal police were called to a residence near 300 North and 100 West on a report that Trevizo was violating a protective order. It was the same address officers responded to earlier in the day while looking for Trevizo for committing a similar offense, according to a police booking affidavit.

“The victim previously stated that she could see Jesus driving around the apartment complex. Officers responded to the complex, but Jesus was not there,” the affidavit says about the first call.

During the second police response, officers said they were told Trevizo was inside the apartment assaulting his estranged wife.

“I could hear muffled screams coming from the back of the apartment,” an officer wrote in the arrest report, adding that he then found Trevizo crouched over the woman who was covered in blood and saying, “Help me.”

“I placed Jesus in handcuffs behind his back. I performed a pat down of Jesus’ waistband and pockets while he was still on the ground. During this time Jesus stated, ‘I’m sorry.’ I removed a multitool pocket knife from his waistband,” the officer wrote.

Meanwhile, those attending to the woman reported finding “a folded-up pocket knife that was stuck in (her) hair. The ambulance crew informed me that there was also a blade, later determined to be approximately 6 (inches long), broken off and embedded in (the woman’s) head. While in the ambulance the crew could not feel a radial pulse and they were unable to obtain a blood pressure, thus indicating hypovolemic shock due to the amount of blood that was lost. During this time (the woman) asked, ‘Am I gonna die?'” the affidavit states.

The woman was taken to a local hospital where she received nine staples to close two cuts on the back of her head. Police say she also suffered injuries to her chin and was missing the tip of her thumb. Doctors say a stab wound to the woman’s neck “almost hit her carotid artery and her cervical spinal column,” the affidavit states.

The woman was flown by medical helicopter to another hospital for additional treatment.

The woman filed for a protective order against Trevizo on Feb. 25, according to court records.