Man arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking after allegedly stealing clothes from Walmart

Nathan Lederman, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·2 min read
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Jun. 30—Police arrested a Santa Fe man on suspicion of drug trafficking and aggravated assault Monday after he was accused of stealing nearly $500 worth of items from a Cerrillos Road Walmart.

Police said the suspect, Dominic Vigil, was carrying 431 fentanyl pills, 8.6 grams of methamphetamines and 8.6 grams of cocaine when he was arrested after a chase following the suspected store theft.

Vigil, 42, and a female companion attempted to leave the store with a "plethora of unpaid clothes," according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Santa Fe Magistrate Court. When stopped by a store greeter, Vigil drew a chrome handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the worker, the complaint stated.

A Santa Fe police officer wrote in the complaint the employee was "very scared" and "shaken up" after the incident.

Police said the greeter let Vigil and his companion leave the store, reporting to police they departed in a lifted gray Dodge truck. The vehicle was later spotted by police on Agua Fría Street, police said.

Once Vigil and his companion were found, police ordered them to surrender. Vigil ran away on Siler Road and officers fired their Tasers to no avail, according to the complaint.

Before surrendering, Vigil attempted to throw away a small camouflage bag police said contained the drugs, police said in the complaint.

Deputy police Chief Ben Valdez said drugs Vigil was carrying surpassed a lethal dose. The bag was identified by Walmart security cameras, according to the complaint.

"People who ... have trafficking amounts of narcotics on their person [and are] committing these thefts, it really begs the question, like I don't think they're trying to do this to get by," Valdez said. "I think it's to, again, facilitate trafficking narcotics or to take it to a fence."

After he was arrested, the complaint says Vigil denied involvement in the Walmart incident. His companion said she was unaware Vigil was carrying a firearm and told officers she was stealing clothes to help pay a boyfriend's bond. She said a getaway driver named "Randy" had helped them leave the scene.

Vigil, who has an extensive criminal record, was charged with three counts of trafficking controlled substances, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, refusing to stop for an officer and shoplifting. He is being held at the Santa Fe County jail.