Fort Duchesne man charged with attacking woman with a machete

VERNAL — Uintah County prosecutors have filed felony charges against a Fort Duchesne man accused of slashing a woman with a machete.

Stuart Wade Mojado was charged Wednesday in 8th District Court with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, and other charges.

On Dec. 23, Uintah County sheriff's deputies were called to Uintah Basin Medical Center, where doctors were treating a woman for two lacerations to her left arm. Both cuts were so deep that the "bone was clearly visible," according to charging documents.

The woman told deputies she had been drinking at Mojado's house when she got into an argument with him and decided to leave.

But when the woman got outside, she realized she'd forgotten her cellphone and went back inside to find it. The woman told deputies she encountered Mojado in the hallway and he cut her twice with a black machete before she could escape, the charges state.

Doctors told investigators the major artery in the woman's arm had been cut, as well as the tendons. They also said the only reason the woman didn't bleed to death was because it was extremely cold when she left Mojado's house, causing her to be mildly hypothermic, the charges state.

Deputies secured a search warrant for Mojado's home after they left the hospital. During the search they found the machete, a 9mm handgun, about a pound of marijuana and materials typically used to package marijuana for sale, the charges state.

Mojado, 22, was booked into the Uintah County Jail following the search of his home. He posted nearly $37,000 bail and was released. His first court appearance is set for Jan. 14.

In addition to aggravated assault, Mojado was also charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a second-degree felony, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.

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