SWAT team arrests three after standoff, following Heber birthday party stabbing

HEBER, Utah (ABC4) — A SWAT team has taken three into custody after a brief standoff, in connection with a stabbing at a birthday party in Heber on Sunday.

On Sunday, July 20th, a stabbing at a private Quinceanera party at The Junction Restaurant injured two individuals, sending one to the hospital in critical condition. Today, multiple teams responded to the residence of a suspect and had a brief standoff, before taking three individuals into custody.

According to Sergeant Josh Weishar with the Heber City Police Department, a SWAT search warrant was served around 4pm to the residence of the stabbing suspect. Due to the high danger and nature of the stabbing incident, SWAT, drone units, command center personnel, and approximately 20 officers were dispatched to the home.

Sergeant Weishar said, “It’s a high-risk warrant, so we needed to have our SWAT team respond. We had two man[ned] teams respond, along with our drone unit, along with our major crimes and command center respond[ed] to the residence.”

SWAT team told residents to come out of the home using a megaphone. After about 20-30 minutes, nobody had emerged, at which point SWAT destroyed home security cameras. At that time, the residents finally emerged.

Law Enforcement detained six people on scene, including one juvenile. They later arrested three of those individuals, all adults, and took them into custody. However, police have said the three individuals arrested were not a part of the original party on Sunday but were at the restaurant where the party took place.

Caleb Stock, who works near The Junction, told ABC4 that he was leaving work, when he saw around 16 people, including younger kids, at the restaurant. He told ABC4, “I was a little shocked- it was right where I was at, right here.”

Other Heber residents have spoken out on this incident, though they note this kind of crime is uncommon for the area. Tyson Heelis, one resident, said, “I thought it was scary, because we’re not used to stuff like that here.”

Another resident, Diana Dunphy, expressed that it was shocking, but that she still feels safe. She told ABC4, “Just hearing about it, it doesn’t change the way I feel about living here in Heber City and the safety I have.”

At this time, the individuals arrested have been booked into Wasatch County Jail, though their identities and charges have not been released.

Nick Butts contributed to this story