- Jairo Cesar Vasquez Garzon, known as "the Grand Warlock," faces sexual abuse charges.
- Prosecutors allege Vasquez assaulted clients under the guise of spiritual healing.
- Authorities urge potential victims to contact police as the investigation continues.
WEST VALLEY CITY — Prosecutors have requested that an arrest warrant be issued for a "healer" who went by the name "the Grand Warlock" for alleged sexual abuse of clients.
Jairo Cesar Vasquez Garzon, 57, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with object rape, a first-degree felony, and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
Vasquez worked as a "healer and a tarot card reader with 'Misioneros de la Luz,' practicing under the name 'Rafael El Brujo Mayor,'" which translates to "Rafael the Grand Warlock," according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
One woman claims she heard an advertisement for a healer on the radio and went to Misioneros de Luz, 4330 W. 3500 South. During her first few visits, Vasquez "prayed over her and told her that 'whatever were to happen in the room was to stay between them,'" according to charging documents. During her fourth appointment in January of 2024, she said she was wrapped in a blanket and Vasquez "sprayed her whole body with a liquid. (She) described feeling dizzy immediately after and stated she lost consciousness."
When the woman came to, she said her bra had been removed and she believed she had been sexually assaulted, according to charges. Vasquez then "asked her to make another appointment so he could pray for her again."
As police were investigating the alleged assault, they learned of a second woman who had gone to the business for a tarot card reading in 2022. That woman told detectives that "while in the room, (Vasquez) put his arms around her and said, 'Anything that happens in the room is to be kept in the room' and 'No one needs to know what happens in the room,'" charging documents state.
Vasquez is accused of then rubbing oil on the woman's face and neck and sexually assaulting her.
Last year, police served a search warrant on the business as part of their investigation. Passports for Colombia and Mexico were found, and investigators believe Vasquez last entered the United States on Dec. 21, 2024, and returned to Mexico the next day, the charges state.
"The defendant in this matter lured women to his place of business under the guise of spiritual healing and tarot card reading. Both victims, two years apart, reported (Vasquez inappropriately touched them)," according to the charges.
"We are grateful the detective was able to connect these incidents into a single case. Law enforcement officials are concerned that there may be additional victims from this defendant," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Tuesday. "We applaud the survivors in this case for coming forward to help ensure that the defendant can be held accountable and to help stop these alleged actions from happening to others."
Anyone who believes they were also a victim of Vasquez or knows of a victim is asked to call the police at 801-840-4000.
