A fight between two men near U.S. 550 and Camino Del Pueblo in Bernalillo on Jan. 27 ended with one man hospitalized and another under arrest.
Bernalillo Police Chief Chris Stoyell said officers arrested Armando Escarcega, 36, of Bernalillo, for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a 3rd-degree Felony, after spotting him running from the scene. A Bernalillo officer saw Escarcega crossing the street near a dispensary, found his behavior suspicious, and turned around to stop him.
“One of my officers was driving by and saw the guy running across the street,” Stoyell said. “He’s like, ‘That’s odd’. So (the officer) turned around and ended up being the suspect. So we took him into custody.”
The victim, who lost a significant amount of blood at the scene, was transported to UNM Hospital in stable condition after suffering multiple stab wounds.
“One guy pulled out a knife and stabbed the subject at least three times… He was bleeding pretty good,” Stoyell said. “[Escarcega] pretty much told us that he was just sitting there eating tacos and watching the sunset.”
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage from High Desert Dispensary and Filiberto’s captured the incident, contradicting Escarcega’s claim. The video showed he attempted to stab the victim approximately seven times.
A witness who was with the victim said they bought tacos from a food truck before heading to the dispensary to buy a “preroll.” While inside, the witness saw the victim and Escarcega yelling at each other across U.S. 550. The victim then ran across the road, and the two men began fighting. The witness, blocked by traffic, couldn’t see the entire altercation but said the victim returned, claiming he had been “stabbed up.”
Court records show Escarcega has a history of criminal charges, including aggravated battery and stalking, though many were dismissed. His Preliminary Examination is set for Feb. 26. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.