Arrest of Pastor’s Nephew for Alleged Police Assault Leads to Notice of Brady Material in Son’s Sexual Offense Case
Updated May 8: This article was updated to reflect Victor Bruce confirming he was going to testify in one Vargas' cases, along with further context behind Brady Material and Vargas' charges.
Published May 6 4:00 p.m. | Edited May 6 5:38 p.m. | Corrected spelling of Rey's name.
A recent arrest may impact one of the ongoing child sex abuse cases tied to Ignite Life Center (ILC).
Victor Bruce, nephew of ILC head pastor Mark Vega, was arrested on a warrant last week after allegedly attempting to draw a firearm on officers during a mental health intervention.
Bruce's arrest has led the State Attorney's Office to file a notice of Brady Material in a case against Vega’s adopted son, Christian Vargas. Brady Material refers to evidence that may be favorable to the accused.
Vargas is facing two counts of lewd or lascivious behavior for allegedly raping a 12- to 13-year-old girl when he was 16 and sexually coercing a 14-year-old girl when he was 17–18.
Along with Vargas, Gabriel Hemenez and Noel Cruz have also faced charges for committing sex crimes against minors at ILC.
Last month, Bruce publicly called for the arrest of Vega for holding a private meeting on the victim's reports of sexual misconduct in Cruz's case instead of telling police.
Jack Walden
A week later, Bruce was Baker Acted and taken to Meridian Healthcare after his cousin, Michel Rey, reported that he said he'd “shoot up the church.”
Bruce was arrested on a warrant for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer a day after he was checked into Meridian.
Bruce told GnvInfo at Meridian that he did not reach for his firearm and had his hands where officers could see them.
Following Bruce's arrest, Vargas received a notice of Brady Material in one of his lewd or lascivious behavior cases. The notice says that Bruce's arrest report may contain exculpatory information.
Bruce told GnvInfo over the jail phone that he was going to testify against Vargas in one of his cases. The notice of Brady Material indicates that Bruce's arrest may be used to discredit his testimony.
ILC continues to hold sermons Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Bruce’s brother, Nick Bruce, serves as an associate pastor at the church.
More information on ILC is available in the investigation below.
