An Española firefighter’s latest brush with the law ended in his arrest July 25 and his resignation three days later.
Cesar Vargas, 44, of Española, was moonlighting as a trailer park security guard the night of July 25 when he was arrested for allegedly holding two men at gunpoint.
Vargas drew his handgun following a confrontation with two men at the Milagro Village Mobile Home Park, according to court documents. The two men Vargas allegedly assaulted were also arrested, Española Police Sgt. Christian Lopez said.
Jose G. Bulow Jr., 18, of Santa Cruz, and Isidro Rios, 30, of Roswell, had driven into the mobile home park and started flashing their emergency lights. Bulow later told police he is a Chamita volunteer firefighter, documents state.
An argument with Vargas ensued when the two men continued to flash their lights and then attempted to speed away after Vargas told them to stop, Lopez said.
“At one point, (Vargas) tried to detain them, and while they were trying to get away, they backed into his vehicle,” Lopez said.
Vargas, who is not authorized to detain others with or without a weapon, drew a gun on the men and allegedly ignored instructions from dispatchers to lower his weapon until police arrived, Lopez said.
Logs show 911 dispatchers received calls from several alarmed residents, and Vargas himself called to report two men had run their vehicle into his truck and he was “pointing his gun straight at them.” He noted to dispatchers that the men refused to put up their hands.
Española Police Cpl. Jeff R. Martinez told Vargas through dispatchers to put away his gun, documents state.
Vargas was still holding Bulow and Rios at gunpoint when police arrived and he put away his gun shortly afterward, according to documents. Police found the gun was loaded, and located several magazines of ammunition.
Vargas was arrested and charged with one felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He bonded out of jail Monday on a $800 bond, court documents state.
Vargas resigned Tuesday morning, one day after he was suspended with pay, Human Resources Director Jeanie Brito and Fire Chief John Kitchen said. Vargas refused to comment for this story.
Bulow was arrested for driving while intoxicated after police noticed he was visibly intoxicated, Sgt. Lopez said. He faces one count of aggravated DUI and is scheduled for arraignment Aug. 5, Española Municipal Court administrator Jolene Miera said. He was released from Española Jail Sunday after posting a $515 bond, Miera said.
Rios faces one count of possession of a controlled substance, documents state. Police found a $1 bill with traces of cocaine, and later a larger bag of the same substance, on the passenger side of Bulow’s car, which Rios admitted was his, documents state. He was being held in jail on a $2,000 bond.
Past Problems
Vargas’ most recent arrest was his second in less than a year.
Vargas was sentenced to one year of probation last December after pleading no contest to one misdemeanor count of resisting an officer.
That charge, and a dismissed charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, stemmed from an October 2008 incident in which Española Police wrestled a loaded gun from Vargas after he made suicidal threats.
The court ordered Vargas to seek therapy for anxiety issues, and was put on administrative leave in November until a doctor certified he could return to work. He returned to work in March, Acting City Manager Veronica Albin said.
In May 2008, Vargas allegedly rammed his son Gavin’s car with a tow truck and threatened at gunpoint to kill him. Police have said they decided not to charge Vargas in that incident because the victim was uncooperative with investigators.
Police have confiscated Vargas’ guns for safekeeping at least twice, after each 2008 incident.
In 2005, Vargas, drunk and off his anti-anxiety medication for two weeks, rammed a Honda Accord he shared with his girlfriend, city Weed and Seed Director Stephanie Marquez-Martinez, with a tow truck he drove for then-City Councilor Anthony VanderVossen according to a police report.
Vargas was taken into protective custody but not charged, as he was only destroying his own property, then-police chief Richard Guillen said at the time.
Vargas had three charges of battery, aggravated battery, and battery against a household member dismissed in 2001 because they were filed in the wrong county, according to court documents. At the time, Vargas denied the charges, saying the alleged victim hit him in the eye with her cell phone, causing him to need surgery.
A request to view Vargas’ personnel file was not fulfilled as of Tuesday.