STANTON — A local man with a murder conviction in the state of Washington was recently sent back to prison after being convicted of shooting and injuring his wife in Montcalm County.

Christopher Reed Vargas, 52, of Stanton pleaded guilty Feb. 6 to discharging a firearm causing injury and possession of weapons firearms. Two other charges of possession of methamphetamine and felony firearms were dismissed.

The charges stemmed from an incident last Nov. 11 in Pine Township, according to Montcalm County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Hekman. On that date, Vargas discharged a pistol at or in a building he knew to be occupied causing serious impairment of a body function. Vargas’ wife suffered a gunshot wound to her wrist and hand area, which required surgery to repair, according to Hekman.

“There was a landlord-tenant dispute ongoing between the homeowners and the Vargas family,” Hekman said. “I doubt he (Vargas) was trying to shoot his wife but I can’t say for sure whether he intended to shoot anyone else or simply to scare them (the landlords).”

The Michigan State Police Lakeview Post investigated the shooting incident.

Vargas was sentenced March 19 by Montcalm County Circuit Court Ronald Schafer to from 72 months to 20 years prison with credit for 129 days already served, plus $1,716 in fines and costs. Vargas’ defense attorney was Kurt Peterson.

Vargas was not permitted to possess a firearm because he is a felon. He was previously convicted of second-degree murder in another state, according to Hekman.

According to the Kitsap County Superior Court in the state of Washington, Vargas was convicted in 1988 of second-degree murder stemming from the 1987 death of his 8-month-old stepdaughter, Ashley Borst. The murder was investigated by Naval Investigative Services as Vargas, who was 20 years old at the time, was an active-duty sailor with the U.S. Navy assigned to the USS Nimitz at the time.

According to court documents,Vargas had gone home to Michigan on leave from the Navy in August 1987 to marry a woman named Annette, the mother of Ashley.

Annette and Ashley both became ill with a stomach bug in early November 1987 and Annette even took Ashley to a hospital on No. 3 to be examined for having an upset stomach. The doctor prescribed Pedialyte for the child.

On Nov. 4, Annette was feeling quite ill and went to bed early, withVargas agreeing to take care of Ashley, who still had an upset stomach. Annette saidVargas gave her updates on Ashley through the night and into the early morning hours, saying the infant had eaten some fruit and seemed to be doing better. Annette said around 5 a.m. the following morningVargas woke her up and asked her to stay up and talk to him, which she said she tried to do, but she felt too ill and went back to bed.

Annette said sometime between 6 and 8 a.m.,Vargas woke her up again. She said her husband seemed to be very upset and “he said he was sorry, he loved her and Ashley and he didn’t mean to do it.”

Annette asked, “What did you do, Chris?” andVargas replied, “I hit her and something just snapped.” Annette asked Vargas where he had hit her and he replied, “On her face.” Annette asked him why he had hit the child and he replied, “She wasn’t doing anything, I don’t know what happened.”

Annette said she found Ashley in her crib with a large handprint-shaped bruise on the left side of her face, a large palm-sized bruise on the right side of her face and a large bruise on the child’s forehead. Annette said her husband then got a shotgun and indicated he was going to shoot himself, but Annette talked him out of this and together they took the child to the Naval Hospital, where she was airlifted to another hospital in Seattle, where she died the following morning.

Vargas pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 1988, to second-degree murder.

“On Nov. 5, 1987, I struck my stepdaughter, Ashley,”Vargas wrote his written statement. “I don’t know why I did it, I should’ve known that I would’ve hurt her! And as a result of my ignorance, she has died!”

Vargas was sentenced March 11, 1988, to 13 and a half years in prison.

He was released from prison on Dec. 20, 1996.

As a result of his most recent prison sentence, he will not be eligible for release until Nov. 10, 2025, at the earliest.