ST. GEORGE — A two-vehicle crash escalated into an altercation that reportedly involved a suspect accused of pulling a knife on two parties before fleeing a scene that left two individuals with minor injuries. The suspect was later found with a blood alcohol level that was nearly four times the legal limit in Utah.
File photo for illustrative purposes only of several St. George Police officers responding to a scene in St. George, Utah, Sept. 24, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
The incident was reported on Tuesday night when officers responded to a two-vehicle crash on South Tech Ridge drive in St. George.
According to charging documents filed with the court, officers spoke to the complainant who said an intoxicated man crashed into his car and then approached in an aggressive manner “while holding a knife.”
The suspect was driving a white Hyundai Elantra, which officers located a block or so away heading north on South Tech Ridge and conducted a high risk traffic stop. The driver was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The suspect was detained and identified as 29-year-old Eduardo Gonzalez Zuazo, of St. George.
While speaking to the suspect, officers noticed the man had slurred speech and officers detected the strong odor of alcohol coming from the man’s breath. At that point, officers administered a sobriety test, one in which the suspect reportedly failed. Officers determined that Zuazo was “too impaired to safely operate a motor vehicle,” as noted in the report.
A breath test indicated the driver’s blood alcohol content was .194, nearly four times the legal limit in Utah.
While speaking to witnesses, officers learned the suspect and the other driver were traveling side-by-side in a manner that suggested the two were street racing. As they did so, the suspect went off the roadway and blew a tire. The occupants in the second vehicle pulled over and assisted the suspect with the tire.
As they did so, Zuazo reportedly became aggressive and pulled a knife on the witnesses, making slicing motions towards the pair that had their hands up at the time. The situation then escalated when the suspect approached one of the parties and made a stabbing motion towards the man’s neck, but missed, the officer wrote.
Purgatory Correctional Facility’s Community Corrections Center, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 15, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News
The suspect was tackled to the ground while one of the witnesses called police. After a short scuffle, the suspect was able to break free and proceeded towards one of the witness’s vehicles where he slashed three of the four tires before fleeing the scene.
While speaking to officers, the suspect reportedly admitted to pulling the knife on the parties, but said he was acting in self defense. He later told officers he had cut the tires on one of the vehicles with the folding knife that was subsequently recovered from the suspect’s front pocket.
Zuazo was booked into jail in Washington County facing two third-degree felony counts of aggravated assault, along with one count each of property damage, driving under the influence and intoxication. Officers also requested the suspect be held without bail, citing he would likely “flee the jurisdiction if released.”
The request was approved and a no-bail order was place on the suspect who remains in custody at the time of this report.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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