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TAYLORSVILLE — Three people have been arrested and accused of participating in a riot in which two Taylorsville police officers were backed into a corner and assaulted during a party late Saturday night.
Police had responded twice to noise complaints about a very loud party at 5349 Royal Autumn Circle. Officers returned to the house just after 11 p.m. and said they were planning to cite the homeowners when more than 60 intoxicated partygoers backed them into a corner and assaulted them.
Taylorsville police have arrested three individuals who are alleged to have been involved: Sebastian Gonzalez, 50; Juanito Luis Castro Rodriguez, 21; and Jesenia Gonzalez, 24.
Sebastian Gonzalez owns the home where the party took place, according to police. When he was contacted by police and asked to stop the party, "he was argumentative, belligerent and yelled profanities," according to a police booking affidavit. He refused to comply and walked away, police say, and resisted arrest, after which "several other partygoers began assaulting officers and interfering" with the arrest.
Police say Sebastian Gonzalez was "very intoxicated and a riot ensued after he began resisting arrest and fighting with officers. Officers sustained cuts and bruises from being assaulted during the riot." He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of causing a riot, failing to stop at command of police, interfering with an arresting officer, disorderly conduct and intoxication.
Rodriguez is accused of standing between the officer and Sebastian Gonzalez to prevent his arrest. He "acted in concert with more than two other individuals resulting in the bodily injury of a police officer," a separate booking affidavit said. Jesenia Gonzalez is also accused of helping Sebastian Gonzalez resist arrest and allegedly grabbed a police officer to stop the arrest.
Both Rodriguez and Jesenia Gonzalez were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of causing a riot and interfering with an arresting officer.
