GALLUP, NM---Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that Gallup Magistrate Court Judge Virginia A Yazzie found probable cause to believe Mathew Vargas committed a second degree felony resulting in death on October 14, 2017 for a head-on vehicular homicide on State Road 118 near Gallup. Evidence was presented that Vargas suddenly veered across the center line into oncoming traffic when he struck and killed a motorist, Ernest Baker, in the other lane. Vargas’ car contained a half empty bottle of Goldschlager Whiskey and three Xanax pills were found in the defendant’s pants pockets. A blood test confirmed Vargas had excessive amounts of Xanax in his system at the time of the collision.
