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ST. GEORGE — A man was charged Friday with stabbing another man during a party in southern Utah after the victim had already been beaten and was on the ground.
Darian Rafael Orozco-Salas, 27, of St. George, is charged in 5th District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony; assault, a class B misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor.
Police were called to St. George Regional Hospital on July 4 about 4 a.m. on a report of a man who was admitted to the hospital after being stabbed twice. The victim told police he was at a party in Washington when he got into a disagreement with several other men, according to a police booking affidavit.
The victim was first confronted by three other men in a backyard.
"The males would deliver a series of violent punches to the victim in unison until onlookers were able to break up the encounter," the charging documents state.
The victim, who witnesses say appeared dazed, walked away from the residence but was confronted again in the street in front of the home — this time by six men, the affidavit states. Several witnesses recorded the confrontation on their phones.
"In the video, the victim can be observed to have been knocked to the ground and lay defenseless as the males kick and punch him several times each," the affidavit says.
Police say that while the victim was on the ground, a man later identified as Orozco-Salas approached him and stabbed him twice.
On Wednesday, police tracked down Orozco-Salas and interviewed him.
"Darian admitted to me that he had stabbed the victim twice using a steak knife he had retrieved from the residence following the first altercation. Darian states that he had stabbed the victim as he was very mad at some remarks the victim had made during the party. Darian states that he had not intended to kill the victim, but had in fact intended to hurt him," the affidavit states.
