Charges: Group of teens hit, kicked officers at Taylorsville festival

Charges: Group of teens hit, kicked officers at Taylorsville festival

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TAYLORSVILLE — A group of teenagers pushed, kicked and hit two Unified police officers who tried to break up a fight at the annual Taylorsville Dayzz festival, causing a minor injury to one of them, according to a criminal case filed Wednesday.

Evangelina Mendoza, 18, is charged in 3rd District Court with riot, a third-degree felony, and interference with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor, for her alleged role in the June 24 incident.

Mendoza and a 16-year-old girl were throwing punches at each other while surrounded by about 50 teenagers, many of whom were recording the fight with their cellphones, court documents say.

Unified police officers who were working security at the festival at Valley Regional Park, 5100 S. 2700 West, reported they confronted the group and told others to get back while they responded to break up the fight.

"Mendoza and (the 16-year-old girl) continued fighting, and several others began fighting with each other," charging documents state. "The crowd then began fighting with arriving police officers."

At least two officers, both of them detectives, were punched, kicked or hit multiple times by the group, the charges state. One female detective suffered "a large bruise on the back of her thigh" from the attack, according to court documents.

The crowd of teenagers also chanted anti-police obscenities, according to charges.

No initial court date had been set and no arrest warrant had been issued in Mendoza's case as of Wednesday night. Jail records indicate she is out of police custody.

Court records show Mendoza, whose city of residence is listed as unknown, has no prior criminal history in Utah as an adult.

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Ben Lockhart

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