A Tooele man has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection to a stabbing that occurred in Tooele City last December.
Jose Arturo Quijada-Gonzalez, 19, pleaded guilty to an amended count of misdemeanor reckless endangerment during his arraignment in 3rd District Court on Monday. He had previously been charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Quijada-Gonzalez was also sentenced to one year in the Tooele County Detention Center with credit for 108 days served during his court appearance Monday. The court also ruled that he may be released early to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tooele City police were dispatched to Mountain West Medical Center for a male victim with a stab wound at 3:14 a.m. on Dec. 4, according to a probable cause statement. Detectives investigating learned the victim and Quijada-Gonzalez were at a mutual friend’s house watching UFC fights earlier that evening.
While watching the fights, the victim made fun of the Norteno gang, which Quijada-Gonzalez is a member of, the probable cause statement said. The Nortenos are a California-based gang.
When Quijada-Gonzalez took offense to the victim’s comments, the two stepped outside the mutual friend’s home to fight, according to the probable cause statement. Police said a knife was brandished and the victim was stabbed in the stomach by Quijada-Gonzalez.
Police arrested Quijada-Gonzalez the next day and he was interviewed by Tooele City police prior to transportation to the Tooele County Detention Center.
