WEST JORDAN, Utah, July 24, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A 20-year-old man is facing 27 felony charges after West Jordan police say he stabbed a man 15 to 18 times, then broke into two houses, burglarizing the second before shooting up the residence and firing on responding police officers.
Cesar Eduardo Aguilar, 20, faces charges of:
- Attempted criminal homicide, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- 10 counts of assault on a peace officer or military service member in uniform, a second-degree felony
- Burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony
- 12 counts of felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony
- Purchase, transfer, possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Criminal mischief, a third-degree felony
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Aguilar is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail.
An affidavit filed in Aguilar’s case says at about 9 a.m. Friday, he stabbed a man 15 to 18 times in the chest, neck, arm, and back while in a vehicle with the victim and a witness.
“Ceasar then fled from the vehicle and unlawfully enter one residence” on the 6900 south block of Decora Way. “The homeowner confronted and yelled at Ceasar multiple times to get out of her house.”
Aguilar left the first residence and entered one on the same block, the statement says, and committed the felonies of theft and discharging a firearm while inside, the probable cause statement says.
Officers were alerted by multiple callers, and responded to the scene.
“Ceasar discharged a firearm at police officers (10 officers) outside the residence, took possession of a firearm while admittedly using a controlled substance (methamphetamine and heroin), damaged the victim’s property when discharging a firearm at multiple doors and windows causing damage, and knowingly possessing a pipe used to inhale methamphetamine, a controlled substance,” the West Jordan Police statement says.
The stabbing
Dispatch alerted officers to the arrival of the 42-year-old stabbing victim at Jordan Valley Hospital. The victim was driven to the hospital by the 20-year-old woman who reportedly witnessed the attack.
The woman said she, the victim and Aguilar, who she knew only as Cesar, were at a male friend’s house in Magna when she said she needed to leave. She drove, and the victim was in the front passenger seat, with Aguilar in the rear passenger-side seat.
The woman told police the victim and Aguilar were “discussing the price of some jewelry (the victim) was selling when Ceasar stated, ‘I’ll show you what a real gangster is.’ (The woman) said Ceasar began acting crazy, pulled out a knife, and stabbed (the male victim) multiple times.
“The woman said Aguilar, seated behind the victim, stabbed the man multiple times in the back, neck and chest.” The victim’s injuries were described as critical, the probable cause statement says. The charging document also noted a large amount of blood found in the vehicle where the attack took place.
Aguilar fled the vehicle in the area where the subsequent break-ins, burglaries and shots fired were reported.
Gunfire
A resident of the second house Aguilar is accused of breaking into, a 24-year-old man renting an apartment in the basement, called police to report someone was shooting a gun upstairs, the statement says. The caller “was able to escape from his residence basement window where he met with officers and provided a statement,” Aguilar’s probable cause statement says.
The downstairs resident told officers “when he heard the shots, the whole house shook. (He) said he did not see or hear any other individuals in the home.”
Arriving officers had “observed gunshots coming through the rear windows and door of the house as well as the front door,” Aguilar’s probable cause statement says.
“Officers had established a perimeter around the home and were waiting for the SWAT team to arrive when a male subject exited the Decora Way residence.”
The man, subsequently identified as Aguilar, was taken into custody. The charging documents note that multiple bullet holes and shell casings were located inside the Decora Way residence.
“Ceasar appeared to be under the influence of narcotics,” the officer filing the probable cause statement wrote. “Ceasar was sweating profusely, speaking very fast, and saying people were after him. (The basement resident) saw Ceasar as he was being escorted away from the residence and he exclaimed he did not know Ceasar, nor has he ever seen him before.”
Officers patted down Aguilar for weapons, and found “a knife, a 9-inch double edge dagger with electrical tape around the handle, appeared to have a dried red substance on it, believed to be blood.”
Post Miranda, Aguilar told investigators “he stabbed someone because he was protecting a girl,” providing the name of the female witness.
“Ceasar told investigators he did not shoot any firearms. Ceasar admitted he did not know whose house he was in. Ceasar admitted he had consumed a large amount of methamphetamine and heroin.”
Aguilar is being held without bail.
