Moab man jailed after allegedly stabbing former coworker, roommate

MOAB, Utah, June 8, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 23-year-old suspect has been arrested after police say he stabbed his former restaurant coworker, who had also been his roommate.

Martin Garcia Bogarin has been charged with murder (attempted), a second-degree felony, in the case.

Bogarin's probable cause statement says officers with the Moab City Police Department were alerted to a possible stabbing outside a restaurant late Wednesday morning.

They arrived to find Bogarin "with a large box-cutter style knife in his hands, chasing an adult male victim" around a passenger car, the statement says.

The victim "had blood coming from one of his hands or wrists, and dozens or hundreds of drops of blood were observed on the ground all around the vehicle and on the vehicle."

The reporting officer said he arrived and positioned himself to block Bogarin's remaining route to the victim.

"Martin was repeatedly ordered to get down on the ground, but he did not comply. Ultimately, he attempted to charge past my position to get at (the victim) again."

The reporting officer, who did not know the suspect had dropped his weapon, tried to stop Bogarin with a kick to the pelvic girdle, keeping his hands free in case he needed to draw his gun.

Another officer deployed a Taser, which did not make proper contact with Bogarin, "but between my kick and the sound of the Taser, Martin ultimately fell to the ground where he was then taken into custody."

Interviews with people on the scene revealed that Bogarin had been an employee of the restaurant before missing work for three days and being fired.

Bogarin contacted the manager in an attempt to keep his job, "but he told the manager he had problems with (the victim) and was worried that he may end up assaulting him if they continue to work together. Due to his no-shows and his own admission he may assail (the victim), the manager fired him."

On Wednesday, Bogarin returned to the restaurant and told an employee "that he has been sleeping on a park bench after leaving the residence he was sharing with (the victim) up until Monday."

The probable cause statement says Bogarin told the employee he intended to attack the victim, charging documents say. Witnesses told police that when the victim arrived at work, Bogarin stabbed him as he sat in the driver's seat, then chased him around the vehicle.

Witnesses told officers that while being cuffed and led to a patrol car, Bogarin was yelling in Spanish at the victim "that he knows he is getting out of jail and that he will come and murder him as soon as he is released."

The victim's deepest wound required stitches, the affidavit noted.

Bogarin was booked into the Grand County Jail and ordered to be held without bail.