A man who allegedly carried out a violent attack with a kitchen knife at a restaurant in Northern California’s Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Wednesday (August 19) has been identified and charged with attempted murder.
Joseph Naugle, 22, an employee at the Dos Coyotes Border Café within the casino, is alleged to have attacked five coworkers by stabbing them, as stated by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. He is facing two counts of attempted murder, with more charges anticipated, according to the sheriff’s office.
Law enforcement was summoned to the tribal casino near Lincoln, California, at approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday following reports of a stabbing incident in the kitchen of the restaurant.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort, situated around 30 miles northeast of Sacramento, is operated by the United Auburn Indian Community.
Kitchen Nightmare
Naugle was apprehended at the scene. Video footage from CBS Sacramento depicted him in a dark kitchen apron being placed inside the rear of a sheriff’s patrol vehicle. It was later confirmed by the department that five individuals had been stabbed and that no other suspects were being pursued.
One injured employee was transported to a local hospital, while the remaining four were treated on-site by Thunder Valley Casino EMTs and CAL FIRE personnel, according to authorities.
Despite the incident being contained to the kitchen, the casino continued operations without evacuation, and most guests were unaware of the occurrence, authorities noted.
At this point in the investigation, it appears the suspect knew all five victims. No additional suspects are outstanding. And there is no outstanding threat to the public,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The casino has refrained from making public comments regarding the incident, directing media inquiries to the sheriff’s office. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
Clean Record
The suspect does not have a known criminal record. Information from a LinkedIn profile indicates that he graduated from Woodcreek High School in nearby Roseville in 2022 and had been employed as a cashier at KFC.
At the age of eight in 2012, he was reported missing after separating from his mother at a swimming event but was later found safe, as per The New York Post.
Reports from that time describe him as occasionally walking with a limp and having “medical issues.”
Naugle is scheduled for arraignment on Friday at Placer County Superior Court.