The city-run Violence Intervention Program is meant to help people get out of the cycles of violence. However, the man the city hired to manage the program found himself back in that cycle this year. 

Angel Garcia resigned earlier this year after he was charged with battery.  Garcia was touted as the man for the job as a four-time convicted felon and reformed gang member from California. He was running the Violence Intervention Program when 4 Investigates found he had accompanied a sex offender into APS schools as part of a guest speaker program to teach students about consequences for bad decisions. 

Garcia pleaded guilty to battery on Wednesday. 

“I’m apologizing to Albuquerque because I was a member of the community, helping the community, and I put myself in a situation that I shouldn’t have been in,” Garcia said in court. 

Bernalillo County metro court judge Michelle Castillo Dowler pushed Garcia to tell her what he did to be guilty of battery. 

Garcia: “I put myself in a situation where I was accused of something.” 

Judge Michelle Castillo Dowler: “Ok, that’s not against the law. Tell me what you did that constitutes a battery, sir.” 

Garcia: “I gave her a kiss and a grabbed her hair.” 

4 Investigates obtained the surveillance from Cheb Hut showing what happened that night. 

Garcia took issue with how investigators described the crime he admitted to. 

“I just really want to say that the way the affidavit was written wasn’t really everything that happened that night,” Garcia said. 

“You can’t plead guilty and then say none of that actually happened,” Judge Dowler responded. “You understand that, correct?”  

Garcia said, “Yes.” 

Garcia’s plea deal put him on probation. He will avoid jail time. 

City of Albuquerque officials said they are still in the hiring process for finding a new Violence Intervention Program manager as the work of the city VIP continues.