CLIFTON, CO — Three people have been arrested following a series of assaults at a desert bonfire early Sunday morning, including an alleged bias-motivated attack and a subsequent retaliatory beating that left the initial suspect hospitalized.
On April 12, 2026, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Mesa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of multiple assaults, including a report of a man down, in the C Road Desert east of Clifton.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, witnesses reported that 21-year-old Dante Degiulio initiated the violence by physically assaulting a male attendee after learning the man was gay. The victim did not fight back and left the scene with injuries. Deputies later located this initial victim at an area gas station to confirm his injuries.
Following the first attack, Degiulio allegedly attempted to assault a second male, destroyed that individual’s phone, damaged his own vehicle, and physically assaulted his girlfriend.
Sometime after the initial victim fled, two adults—identified as 57-year-old Johnny Herrera and 44-year-old Crystal Herrera, both of Clifton—arrived at the bonfire to confront Degiulio. The Herreras allegedly assaulted Degiulio, leaving him with serious bodily injuries. When deputies arrived, they found Degiulio down and had him transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Upon his release from the hospital later that day, Degiulio was transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility and booked on the following charges:
- Domestic violence
- Assault in the third degree (Misdemeanor 2) (two counts)
- Bias-motivated crimes (Felony 5)
- Criminal mischief – $1,000-$2,000 (Misdemeanor 1)
- Criminal attempt (Felony 5)
- Second-degree assault with injury – deadly weapon (Felony 4)
Based on information gathered through multiple interviews, investigators obtained arrest warrants for Johnny and Crystal Herrera. On April 16, both were located and arrested without incident.
Crystal Herrera was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Assault in the third degree (Misdemeanor 1)
- Conspiracy to commit first-degree assault (Felony 6)
Johnny Herrera was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charge:
- Assault in the first degree, intent to cause serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon (Felony 3)