Police arrest men after one brandished a knife and the other tried to hit him with his car

Paul Marquez, about 22, and Robert Vanpamel, about 58, both of Rio Rancho, were arrested Jan. 2 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at Walmart on Unser Blvd.

The arrests came after officers responded to the store on a report of a man, chasing a vehicle with a knife.

Marquez said he brandished a knife to protect himself because he was in fear of being hit by the vehicle driven by Vanpamel, which he said had been following him from the Pecos and Baltic roads area. He pulled into the Walmart parking lot to try and get away from it, but it pulled into the parking lot shortly after him. He then showed officers the knife.

Vanpamel said Marquez was the suspect of a hit-and-run road rage incident that took place in October. He said he followed him to try and keep him in one place to call police.

Walmart security footage showed Marquez getting out of his vehicle and following Vanpamel’s Nissan with the knife in hand. It also showed Marquez walk back to his car and Vanpamel attempting to hit him with the vehicle. According to officer notes, Marquez ran into the landscaping to avoid being hit, and the Nissan drove all the way up to the curb.

Both men were arrested in the incident. If convicted, they will both face 1 1/2 years in prison.