SPANISH FORK, Utah, Dec. 24, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 30-year-old Mapleton man has been booked into the Utah County jail after Spanish Fork police say he stabbed his father.
Jay Hoskins was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, his affidavit says. He was booked for investigation of aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, a second-degree felony.
The Spanish Fork police officer who filed the affidavit responded at 3:30 p.m. Saturday to a report of a physical altercation involving family members.
Hoskins had fled the scene, a residence in a Spanish Fork townhome complex, prior to the arrival of SFPD officers, police said.
After initial surgery on the father was completed, the parents told police their son had mental health problems, and was not taking medications appropriately that had been prescribed by his psychiatrist. His parents said Hoskins believes his father had signed him up for a government program that involved agents torturing him.
His parents had moved Hoskins to their Mapleton residence about 11 months earlier, and were preparing that house and the Spanish Fork townhouse where Hoskins previously lived for sale prior to a planned move out of state, they said.
When Hoskins’ parents learned he did not show up for work Saturday, they went to the vacant Spanish Fork townhouse, and found him there, the police statement says. After a verbal altercation, Hoskins reportedly raised a knife as if to stab his father, and the father hit Hoskins with a broomstick in an effort to prevent an assault.
Hoskins then stabbed his father multiple times, his arrest documents say. He fled the scene, and was located by a phone ping while driving south on Interstate 15. Hoskins was found and detained by Utah Highway Patrol officers. Two knives, one covered with blood, were found in the vehicle, Hoskins’ arrest documents say.
Police also learned that Hoskins had left a voice message for a friend in California, “stating he got into some bad stuff today,” his affidavit says. “Jay stated ‘it’s really bad actually, it’s criminal bad.'”
Hoskins’ message said his father had put him in a CIA program, and “the guys have been torturing him for over a year now. Jay advised this has finally taken its toll.'”
Hoskins’ message said his father came at him aggressively, with a Swiffer as a weapon, and that Hoskins had pushed his father away and stabbed him, the police report says.
Hoskins reportedly said he did not intend to hurt anyone, “then speaks of the CIA torture again almost as an excuse for his behavior,” the affidavit says. Hoskins asked his friend to tell his mother he was sorry, the affidavit says.
Post Miranda, Hoskins declined to speak to police without an attorney present, then volunteered “he felt it was unfair that he was the one in jail when he was attacked first.”
Hoskins was ordered to be held without bail.
Gephardt Daily will have additional information as the case develops.
