Thursday, February 19, 2009

Feds: O.C. Man accused of stabbing girlfriend is illegal alien

Miguel Alexander Vargas, 25, was detained by Mexican authorities in Tijuana.

By ERIC NEFF and DENISSE SALAZAR
The Orange County Register

SAN YSIDRO – Federal officials announced that Miguel Alexander Vargas, who is accused of stabbing a Placentia woman to death in front of her children earlier this month, is an illegal immigrant.

Vargas, 25, was arrested this week by Mexican authorities in Tijuana and turned over to Placentia Police detectives Tuesday. When he was turned over to border officials in between, he claimed to be a U.S. citizen, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Officials later determined that he was from El Salvador with no legal documents to enter the United States.

Vargas is accused of stabbing his estranged girlfriend, 23-year-old Annette Alvarado, several times, mostly in the back of the neck, as her 4-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son witnessed the stabbing.

She was taken to Placentia Linda Hospital, where she later died, said Corinne Loomis, a Placentia police spokeswoman.

The children said, "(Daddy) came in and stabbed Mom," Loomis said.

After forcing his friend out of the getaway car, police said, Vargas at some point fled to Mexico.

Court records show a protective order was filed against Vargas after he was arrested Jan. 27 on suspicion of causing corporal injury to his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor count and was scheduled to appear in court Feb. 25 to show proof of enrollment in a batterer-treatment program, said Farrah Emami, a District Attorney's Office spokeswoman.

Vargas has had other run-ins with the law, ranging from gang crimes to traffic violations to drug convictions, court records show.

Vargas was sentenced to serve one year in state prison Nov. 21, 2008, after he violated his probation for driving under the influence of alcohol. His probation stemmed from a 2007 case in which he pleaded guilty to a felony gang-related assault, criminal street gang vandalism and criminal street gang-use of offensive language to provoke reaction, according to court records.

Vargas did not serve his sentence in state prison because he received credit for serving time in jail, court records show.

In 2006, he pleaded guilty on two separate cases to driving without a valid driver's license, failure to provide proof of financial responsibility and failure to register vehicle.

In 2005, and twice in 2006, Vargas pleaded guilty to falsely representing himself to an officer.

And in 2002, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, according to court records.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3782 or eneff@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/varg ... ds-pleaded