By MAIRE O’NEILLJustin F. Vigil, 23, of Santa Fe, will serve 191 days in Santa Fe County Detention Center and 566 days of supervised probation when released under the terms of a judgment issued by First Judicial District Judge T. Glenn Ellington for two cases, one in Los Alamos County and the other in Santa Fe County.
In the Los Alamos case, Vigil was originally charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery against a Los Alamos woman. Under a plea and disposition agreement reached in April, he pleaded no contest to false imprisonment, battery against a household member and violation of a restraining order in connection with a Jan. 21 domestic dispute.
At the time of the arrest, the victim told Los Alamos Police Cpl. Robert Larsen Vigil was upset with her and wanted to leave her apartment. They went outside so that the victim could retrieve a car seat from Vigil’s vehicle. The victim said Vigil attempted to run her over, then chased her on foot, pushed her to the ground, and told her she had to go with him. He then allegedly dragged her to the vehicle and “forcefully threw” her inside where she reportedly hit her head on a metal bar and was still lying on the floor when he began to drive. He allegedly told the victim he could not go to prison because of her and threatened to drive off a cliff and kill them both.
Following pleas by the victim to either take her home or let her out of the car, Vigil reportedly drove her back to the apartment and left her there at which point she called 911. She was transported to Los Alamos Medical Center because of her head wound. Vigil continued to contact the victim by phone calls and texting still threatening to kill himself.
In the Los Alamos case, Judge Ellington sentenced Vigil to 18 months of incarceration with 18 months sentenced and 18 months of supervised probation on each of the three charges, with the three sentences to run concurrently. He also ordered Vigil to complete a CYFD-approved domestic violence offender treatment program.
In the Santa Fe case, Vigil was granted a conditional discharge and sentenced to a period of probation in 2013. In October 2016, that was revoked and he was given a deferred sentence and placed back on probation. In April, he admitted to violating his probation by failing to complete Treatment Court. Judge Ellington revoked the deferred sentence and sentenced Vigil to a total of six years of incarceration.
The sentences in both counties are to run concurrently and with time served in both cases, Vigil had 375 days left to serve in jail. Judge Ellington suspended all but 191 of those days with good-time approved. The two cases were prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kent Wahlquist and the Defense Attorney was Craig Hay.
