More charges filed against Tooele man accused of choking girlfriend, stabbing 2 men

TOOELE — Additional charges have been filed against a Tooele man accused of choking his girlfriend in a cemetery on Halloween night before police say he stabbed two others at a party.

Gabriel Mascarenas, 19, was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; and unlawful detention and damaging a phone, both class B misdemeanors.

Last week, Mascarenas was charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, both second-degree felonies.

Investigators say Mascarenas choked his girlfriend in the Tooele City Cemetery on Halloween night to the point she blacked out.

Later, he went to the house of an acquaintance who was having a party. The acquaintance had heard about the choking and told Mascarenas he wasn't welcome. Mascarenas responded by stabbing the home owner and another man, according to police.

In newly released court documents, police believe Mascarenas' path of violence actually began even earlier in the evening. Before getting to the cemetery, Mascarenas choked his girlfriend to the point she blacked out twice, according to court documents. He also shoved her head into a chair, pushed her body onto the floor and kicked her in the stomach, court records state.

Contrary to what was reported before, new court documents state that once at the cemetery, the girlfriend got away from Mascarenas by running to a man in a vehicle and begging him to let her in. Mascarenas attempted to pull the woman out when the driver sped away, according to charging documents.

After getting home, the girlfriend was taken to a local hospital and spent the night there due to swelling.

In 2011, Mascarenas was found guilty of assault resulting in substantial injury. Mascarenas choked his little brother, who had confronted him about taking a pair of his shoes, according to Utah court records. When confronted by his father, Mascarenas took a metal bar and hit him in the face and arms.

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