Attempted murder and other charges were filed Thursday against a convicted felon accused of stabbing and attempting to shoot two security guards who prevented him from entering a Riverside bar.
Hugo Cesar Garciao, 32, was arrested Saturday after the alleged attack in the 3200 block of Iowa Avenue, near Blaine Street, just north of the UC Riverside campus.
Along with the three counts of attempted murder, Garciao is charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, is slated to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Garciao went to the bar about midnight Saturday. He was stopped at the door by security personnel who believed he might start trouble at the establishment, at which point he turned aggressive, pulling a knife on the guards, Railsback alleged.
The defendant allegedly stabbed one guard, and when the victim’s colleague came to his aid, Garciao allegedly stabbed him, as well.
“The suspect then produced a firearm and shot at the first security member,” Railsback alleged. “At some point, he fired a gunshot toward the second security member but also missed.”
Other bar employees went to assist, and Garciao was subdued, wrestled to the ground and held down until patrol officers arrived and took him into custody.
Garciao was searched and allegedly found to be in possession of two handguns, according to Railsback.
The two guards were taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening wounds, from which they’re expected to fully recover.
Garciao was not injured.
According to court records, the defendant has prior convictions in another jurisdiction, but they were not specified.
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