JACKSON (WNE) — A Jackson man has pleaded no contest to two felonies after he was arrested for stabbing a man in the face March 15 while he was on probation for another stabbing.
Manuel Vargas, 25, pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and battery and interference with a peace officer per a plea agreement filed July 12.
Each of the two charges carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Per the plea agreement, the state will argue for a consecutive prison sentence of eight to 10 years in prison for the assault charge and three to five years for the interference charge.
The incident occurred March 15 at 6:13 a.m. when two Jackson police officers were dispatched to the White Buffalo Club.
The man stabbed was Vasanthraj Narayana, who identified himself as an operations manager for the hotel.
Narayana and Vargas were living together at the time of the incident. According to Narayana, the incident began because he had told Vargas to be quiet. Vargas then came at him with his knife, attempting to stab him in the stomach on the left side, then the chest on the left side — attempts Narayana evaded.
Vargas, on the other hand, told officers he was trying to defend himself when Narayana got mad at him while Vargas was cooking. He told officers he stabbed Narayana with a pocket knife because “he grabbed me.”
Vargas resisted police attempts to detain him, causing a struggle between him and the officers. He was eventually physically restrained and placed in handcuffs.
Narayana was transported to the emergency room, where he received six stitches in his face, between his left eye and ear.
At the time of the incident Vargas was on supervised probation for a previous altercation on Aug. 18 2021, in which he stabbed one person, tried to stab another and punched a third at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
He was released on that previous charge Feb. 13 and was on probation at the time of the March stabbing. His probation has been revoked.
Vargas also is facing restitution of $95,000 for the victim’s medical bills.
