A man wakes up to a burglar standing over him, they then get into a physical altercation

| by Travis Uresk | May 13^th, 2026 |

Vernal, Utah (5/13/26)—Vernal City Police were informed of a burglary in progress where the victim stated that an unknown male entered his house before engaging in a physical altercation.

The victim also reported that the male had exited his residence out the back door into the backyard.

When Officer Maughan arrived at the residence, the burglar was found still in the backyard of the victim’s home and was identified as 20-year-old Gabriel Beau Spendlove by his Utah driver’s license.

Gabriel was placed into handcuffs, and the arresting officer could smell the distinct odor of alcohol emitting from Gabriel's person, along with his eyes appearing to be glossed over.

Officer Maughan noticed multiple scratches on Gabriel's forearms and hands, which appeared to be consistent with having recently been in a physical altercation.

The victim was evaluated by emergency medical services (EMS) due to multiple injuries sustained during the fight between him and Gabriel. The victim sustained a 2cm laceration underneath the left eye, a large hematoma that was swollen on the right wrist, a chipped tooth, a distinct bite mark on the left forearm, and could be seen with multiple red marks around his neck, face, forearms, and hands.

The victim told police that he had woken up to Gabriel standing over him while asleep on the couch, at which point he questioned Gabriel about who he was. The victim then stated that Gabriel started to "beat" him up by punching him on his side and around his face.

The victim also stated that Gabriel had used one of his forearms in an attempt to strangle him by wrapping it around his neck in a rear naked choke hold. The victim stated that Gabriel could not actually cut off his breathing due to the victim fighting back. The victim then stated that while Gabriel was attempting to strangle him, Gabriel was using his other forearm and his body weight to push the victim's head into a couch, which the victim had fallen next to.

Gabriel was requested to submit to a portable breath test, which he agreed to, but would not fully blow into the straw after multiple attempts and instructions on how to properly perform the test.

It was at this point that Officer Maughan determined there was probable cause to arrest Gabriel and book him into the Uintah County Jail for the following offenses:

Aggravated burglary: this was due to Gabriel having unlawfully entered the victim's home and committed an aggravated assault, which included serious bodily injury to the victim.

Aggravated assault: this was due to Gabriel having committed an assault while also attempting to place the victim in a choke hold, which would have obstructed the victim's airway, causing a high risk of serious bodily injury/death, while also committing an assault, which resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.

Public intoxication: this was due to Gabriel having been intoxicated to a level that rendered him a danger to himself and others. Illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor; this was due to Gabriel having consumed alcohol while only 20 years old.

Gabriel was then transported to the Uintah County Jail after receiving a medical clearance from the hospital. Gabriel was then booked on the charges while in jail.