A private security guard in Santa Fe, Jair Rascon-Chavez, already facing serious charges for a shooting, is now dealing with new accusations linked to an earlier incident at a grocery store. This latest twist in the case comes from an alleged confrontation at an Albertsons on Zafarano Drive the night before the shooting.
According to Santa Fe police, Rascon-Chavez, who is just 21, struck a man with a baton and threatened him with a rifle while on duty at the store on November 25. The man he allegedly attacked turned out to be the same person wounded in a shooting outside a McDonald’s on Cerrillos Road just hours later. The charges against Rascon-Chavez now include aggravated assault and battery, adding to his existing counts of attempted murder and other offenses.
Police say the trouble began when Rascon-Chavez and a fellow guard, 22-year-old Luis Adrian Garcia, confronted a couple in a pickup truck in the early hours of November 26. The couple had been parked outside McDonald’s when the two guards, wearing ballistic vests and ski masks, approached with rifles. The man in the truck had previously called police to report Rascon-Chavez for the alleged attack at Albertsons. The situation escalated, and as the truck tried to drive away, both guards opened fire. The man in the truck was hit four times.
Police reports reveal a disturbing account of events. Garcia told officers it was his idea to intimidate the man. The two guards allegedly followed through by dressing in tactical gear and chasing the truck. Garcia admitted to firing five rounds, while Rascon-Chavez is believed to have fired at least once.
Both men worked for 1st Defense Security, a private security company hired to provide guards at Albertsons and Market Street grocery stores in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. However, police discovered during their investigation that the guards had been carrying equipment not issued by the company, including ballistic vests, batons, and mace. Records from 1st Defense Security also showed both guards had previous incidents involving excessive force while on duty.
Adding to the controversy, neither Rascon-Chavez nor Garcia was certified to carry firearms while working as security guards, according to state records. Despite this, Garcia claimed they bought body armor because of the violence they’d experienced on the job.
Rascon-Chavez has declined to speak with police, and his lawyer, Joel Davis, said they will address the accusations in court. A hearing to decide whether Rascon-Chavez will remain in jail until his trial is scheduled for December 30. Meanwhile, Garcia has been ordered to stay in custody until his trial.
The man who reported the initial incident at Albertsons told police Rascon-Chavez cursed at him, threatened him with mace, and hit him on the head with a baton as he left the store. The confrontation apparently continued in the parking lot, where Rascon-Chavez allegedly grabbed a rifle from his car, making the man fear for his life. However, Rascon-Chavez did not file a report about the incident, which police say is unusual.
Garcia provided a different version of events, saying Rascon-Chavez claimed the man had been aggressive and even threatened to shoot him. Garcia said Rascon-Chavez only intended to push the man but accidentally struck him with the baton.
Albertsons managers have been cooperating with the investigation, and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the store. The video is expected to shed light on what happened inside but might not capture the events that unfolded in the parking lot. For now, the case heavily relies on the victim’s testimony and the information gathered from police interviews.
This unfolding story has left many in Santa Fe questioning the actions of those meant to protect them and the oversight of private security companies.
