Dispute over loud music on crowded TRAX train ends in stabbing

SALT LAKE CITY — Police say a fight between two men on a crowded UTA Trax train that started because one man was irritated with the volume of the other's music ended with one man being stabbed and the other arrested.

Samuel Mesquita, 25, was arrested Friday for investigation of aggravated assault, interruption of critical infrastructure and use of a dangerous weapon.

Wednesday about 8:30 a.m., Mesquita — described by other passengers as being agitated — got on a northbound Blue Line train.

"He was having some sort of mental break," Utah Transit Authority spokesman Gavin Gustafson said Wednesday.

When another passenger confronted him, Gustafson said that passenger was stabbed twice.

The train stopped at the platform at 650 S. Main Street where an officer boarded and "reported seeing two males laying on the ground and actively fighting. Bystanders were attempting to subdue the two males," a police booking affidavit states. "Upon further investigation, it was determined that the victim ... had been stabbed and cut with a folding pocketknife during the fight."

The victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries that did not appear life-threatening. Police say the man "received at least 10 serious knife wounds and cuts

that required several stitches and surgery on his upper left arm."

Mesquita was originally detained and questioned but not arrested right away, as police continued their investigation.

"Samuel was interviewed at the police station and told investigators that he was agitated with his girlfriend and was talking to himself about the situation while on the train. Samuel said that he began playing music on his phone while talking to himself. Samuel told investigators that the train car was very crowded and he took a seat directly across from (the victim) who is not known to him," according to the affidavit.

Mesquita claimed the victim "appeared to be giving him a death stare" and that the victim then "slammed his skateboard on the train floor causing a loud noise," the affidavit states.

Mesquita claimed that he thought the man was about to attack him with the skateboard, so he pulled out his pocketknife and asked the victim, "What's the matter with you?" according to the affidavit.

He claimed, at that point, the victim hit him with his skateboard and Mesquita "continued to stab (the victim) while they were fighting to get him off him as they rolled on the ground," the affidavit states.

When police were able to talk to the victim the next day after he got out of surgery, he admitted "that he was irritated with the level of Samuel's voice and the volume of his music on the crowded train car" and that he "slammed his skateboard on the train floor out of frustration," according to the affidavit,

At that point, however, he says Mesquita pulled out a knife and asked him, "What are going to do about it?" and continued to yell at the victim while holding the knife, according to police.

Believing he was about to be stabbed, the victim said he hit Mesquita with his skateboard and "that's when Samuel attacked him with the knife and the two began to fight. (The victim) said that he attempted to gain control of the knife as he was repeatedly stabbed. (The victim) said that he then attempted to put Samuel in a chokehold and hold the knife. Police arrived and were able to separate the two males," the affidavit states.

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