PORT ST. LUCIE — A Port St. Lucie man was arrested after allegedly threatening another man with an AR-style rifle and later fighting with him at a Wawa gas station on Southwest Becker Road, according to a Port St. Lucie arrest affidavit.
Deputies responded around 10 p.m. June 15 to a reported assault at the Wawa located at 730 SW Becker Road.
According to the affidavit, victim John Coniglio told deputies he and Jeremy Vigil had completed a job together the previous weekend that paid $5,000. Coniglio said he paid Vigil $1,000 for one day of work, paid his father $1,000 for equipment, paid three other workers $500 each and kept $250 for himself.
Coniglio told deputies Vigil was upset about the payment arrangement and contacted him, telling him to meet with money. Coniglio said he arrived at the Wawa with $500 for Vigil's son and $1,000 for Vigil.
According to the affidavit, Coniglio said the two met near a fence at the back of the parking lot with their vehicles positioned window-to-window. Coniglio told deputies Vigil pointed an AR-style rifle out of his truck window and said, "I'm a gangster motherfucker. I'll fucking kill you. I know where you fucking live."
Coniglio said Vigil then racked the rifle and claimed it contained 30 rounds. He described the weapon as all black with a perforated barrel. According to the affidavit, Vigil's son, Jeremy Vigil Jr., was in the vehicle and attempted to wrestle the rifle away from his father.
Coniglio told deputies he attempted to record the encounter on his cellphone, but Vigil struck the phone from his hand.
After driving away and returning to retrieve the phone, Coniglio said he parked near the gas pumps and called his father. According to the affidavit, Vigil approached him again without the rifle visible and said, "No guns now motherfucker. What the fuck you gonna do? No guns now."
Coniglio told deputies Vigil blocked him from leaving by chest-bumping his vehicle and reached toward the driver's side window in a manner that made him fear he would be punched.
The two men then became involved in a physical altercation near the gas pumps. According to the affidavit, Vigil kicked Coniglio, causing him to fall, and the two struggled on the ground.
Coniglio told deputies he eventually moved toward the store entrance because he was having difficulty breathing. He said Vigil followed him into the store while continuing to yell.
According to the affidavit, Vigil later returned to the parking lot and shouted, "I know where you live. I'll fucking kill you. I'm gonna find you. I'll come to your house Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I'll fucking kill you."
Deputies reviewed surveillance footage from the store. According to the affidavit, the video showed the two trucks meeting near the back of the parking lot and later showed Vigil approaching Coniglio's truck near the gas pumps before the fight began.
The affidavit states the footage appeared to show Vigil carrying an object that resembled a long gun or rifle, although deputies noted the distance and image quality made it difficult to confirm definitively.
A store manager told deputies it was the third incident involving Vigil at the location and requested that a trespass warning be issued.
Deputies later responded to Vigil's residence. According to the affidavit, officers observed a truck matching the one seen in the surveillance video parked in the driveway and saw Vigil's cellphone inside the vehicle. After officers established a perimeter, used public-address announcements and attempted phone contact, Vigil surrendered and came outside.
After receiving Miranda warnings, Vigil initially denied the allegations, according to the affidavit. He told deputies he was struggling financially and became upset because he believed he had agreed to receive half of the money earned from the job but was given only a small portion.
Deputies said Vigil consented to a search of the residence. During the search, investigators located an AR-style rifle inside a garage safe that matched the description provided by Coniglio. The rifle was identified in the affidavit as an Aero Precision 4E1 rifle chambered in 5.56/.223.
The rifle was seized as evidence.
Vigil was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He was also issued a trespass warning for the Wawa property and transported to the St. Lucie County jail, according to the affidavit.