• ALTERCATION -- An American Fork man was arrested Thursday after an assault in a city park. According to police reports, Luis Benjamin Martinez-Mercado and his girlfriend were in Rotary Park in American Fork, where they met the victim of the assault. Martinez-Mercado approached the victim's car, pulled off his shirt and began verbally attacking the victim. The altercation became physical, and Martinez-Mercado pulled out a knife. According to police reports, several witnesses saw the suspect pull out the knife and try to stab the victim, but he missed. Martinez-Mercado then fled the scene but was later apprehended and questioned at the police department. While he was being questioned, the knife was found in Martinez-Mercado's girlfriend's car, along with a blue bandana and a jersey with the number 18. Martinez-Mercado admitted to being a former gang member and his girlfriend told police the items in the car were gang-affiliated.

According to the Utah County Attorney's Office, Cristobal was found guilty of criminal mischief. The incident happened on June 22, when Cristobal, 19, three juveniles and one other person were found spray painting gang symbols on the back of the Orem Plaza on Center Street and State Street. A private security officer handcuffed them and called police, who reportedly found bats and a knife in Cristobal's car. The tagging caused more than $1,000 in damage to the walls, and more than $5,000 in damage to a truck. Cristobal will be sentenced Nov. 26. He faces a maximum of one to 15 years in prison.