Rainbow Gathering woman charged with attempted murder
HEBER — The woman who goes by the nickname “Hilter” has been found after police say she tried to stab a man to death at the Rainbow Family Gathering, early Monday morning.
U.S. Forest Service rangers said they heard “I’ll f—ing kill you” coming from near the camp area, around 1:30 a.m., according to Wasatch County charging documents. When emergency crews arrived to the scene they discovered Neil Sparling, 45, had been stabbed “multiple times” by suspect, Lelilani M. Novak-Garcia, the documents stated.
Novak-Garcia had been in a vehicle honking the horn for half an hour, according to Sparling, when he approached the vehicle to have the woman stop. After Novak-Garcia refused, Sparling lifted the hood of the car in attempted to disable the fuse, documents stated. Novak-Garcia then removed herself from the vehicle and stabbed Sparling in the head and shoulder with a knife.
The man was transported the University of Utah Medical Center in serious condition.
Police located Novak-Garcia, hiding in a tent, later that evening. The 32-year-old New Mexico woman was booked in the Wasatch County Jail on one count of attempted murder, a second degree felony. Bail has been set at $20,000, cash only.
According to the U.S. Forest Service more than 650 Rainbow Family members have congregated at the Heber-Kamas Ranger District site where numbers are expected to increase daily. The site is located about 15 miles east of Heber City in the West Fork of the Duchesne area.
Forest Service officials say they visit the camp site daily have a plan in place for those at the gathering site. The main goals laid out in the plan are: public health and safety, minimizing impact on resources by leaving the site at conditions they found it in, and minimizing impact and disruptions to the local communities. Due to the large number of dogs, a temporary dog leash order is now in effect for anyone visiting the gathering site.

