Trucker held on attempted murder charge after rest stop stabbing

Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Det. Stephanie Cassidy testified that the man suspected of stabbing a Sikh truck driver at a rest stop in September asked why he was being arrested. That interaction set the stage for a preliminary hearing held on Nov. 4 in Sweetwater County Circuit Court.

Andrew Bzdak, a trucker from California, was told he faced an aggravated assault charge. Cassidy said Bzdak responded, “So he didn’t die?”

The stabbing occurred at the Bitter Creek Rest Area, located at mile marker 144 eastbound on Interstate 80. Cassidy received a call around 4 a.m. on Sept. 13 that someone had been stabbed at the location. The victim, Gurvinder Singh, a truck driver from Sacramento, reported that he was at the bathroom sink when a man punched him in the head.

Singh said he turned and the man punched him in the face. There was pushing between the two men, and the attacker patted down the front of Singh’s pants. When Singh tried to leave, the man began punching him with a knife, Cassidy reported.

Singh was lifeflighted to the hospital before Cassidy arrived on the scene. She spoke to him the next day and confirmed that records showed he had been stabbed 15 times. The wounds included cuts above his left eye and on his cheek, a puncture to his neck area, and several punctures on his arms, chest and flank. Cassidy noted that Singh’s left wrist was degloved and his right hand and face were swollen.

A family named Anchado was at the rest stop during the incident. The adult son, who was in the car, gave a witness statement and translated for his parents, who do not speak English. The family reported that the mother had been in the women’s restroom and heard grunting. She left and saw Singh bleeding. The family followed the suspect’s truck to get a description and license plate number before returning to the rest stop to provide the information to dispatch.

Wyoming Highway Patrol officers pulled Bzdak’s truck over at the Flying J in Rawlins. A search warrant for the vehicle revealed a plastic Walmart bag with jeans and wet wipes that appeared to have blood on them, along with a pair of shoes with apparent blood on them. Dash cam footage from Bzdak’s truck and another semi at the rest stop showed Bzdak parking before midnight and following Singh inside the rest stop around 3 a.m. The video also captured Bzdak examining his hands after returning to his vehicle.

GPS records from Bzdak’s trucking company, JKC Trucking, and his phone lined up with the timeline described by witnesses and observed in the video. County Attorney Daniel Erramouspe argued that the state met the burden for probable cause. He stated that intent to kill can be inferred from repeated stab wounds in vital areas and that malice can be inferred from the use of a deadly weapon.

Defense attorney Steven Anselmi-Stith argued that the state had not met the burden, pointing out that no one witnessed the actual event and the victim had not identified the suspect. Erramouspe countered that premeditation does not require more than a second and that Bzdak was sitting in his truck before following Singh inside. He told the court, “He went in there and started stabbing.”

Magistrate Ed Newell ruled that enough evidence exists for Bzdak to face trial for attempted first-degree murder. Bzdak remains detained at the Sweetwater County Detention Center under a $1 million bond.