ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man is charged with aggravated battery after he slashed a woman’s tires and tried to run her over after he claimed she cut the line in front of him at a Bob’s Burgers. Manuel Nestor Vargas, 27, who has a criminal history, found himself at the center of the incident on January 30, at the Bob’s at 1690 Rio Bravo Blvd.
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Security footage captured the sequence of events: A woman, patiently waiting her turn to order, found herself targeted by Vargas, where according to Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies, he accused her of cutting in line. Despite initial confrontations, Vargas persisted, confronting the woman multiple times before the situation took a turn.
In an alleged act of aggression, Vargas resorted to vandalism, slashing the woman’s tires with a knife in the parking lot. Shockingly, the altercation didn’t end there. As the victim attempted to confront Vargas and his accomplice, identified as Legina Velardez, the situation intensified. According to BCSO, Velardez, behind the wheel of a car, maneuvered the vehicle, narrowly avoiding injuring the victim in an attempt to flee the scene.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen highlighted Vargas’s history of violence, particularly towards women. “It is brazen, it’s in front of a bunch of people he’s in line, it’s he needs he has anger management issues, obviously,” said Sheriff Allen.
Vargas’s criminal record, spanning over a decade, includes charges of aggravated assault and child abuse dating back to 2017 when he was just 20 years old. Notably, Vargas was also implicated in a murder case in 2021, although charges were later dropped.
Despite his troubled history, Vargas finds himself once again facing the consequences of his actions. Arrested alongside Velardez, he now faces charges of aggravated battery and property damage. While Velardez was released pending trial, Vargas remains in custody.
Sheriff Allen emphasized the importance of ensuring accountability for Vargas’s actions this time, expressing hope that the charges would stick and lead to a deserved sentence.
“If it follows through and the adjudication process goes through like it should be, hopefully, gets that message to the judge or if a jury, you have to go through the criminal justice system to do it. But make sure that he has the sentence that is deserved,” said Sheriff Allen.
