SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Santa Fe man accused of shooting and killing a fellow city employee during a fight will be released on house arrest. Police say Karl Rougemont was arguing with Christopher Vigil on St. Michael’s and Cerillos on Mar. 7.

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“On March 3, 2022, the defendant brought a gun to a fistfight,” said the prosecuting attorney during Karl Rougemont’s detention hearing on Tuesday.

What started out as a fistfight, ended in Christopher Vigil’s death. “The autopsy showed the manner of death as five gunshot wounds to the abdomen,” said Allen Benitez, the New Mexico State Police case agent assigned to the homicide.

One of Vigil’s co-workers with the city of Santa Fe. Vigil worked as a meter reader, Rougemont in collections for the utility department. The union says there were documented complaints between the two men for at least a year. Witnesses in court Tuesday, describing, in detail what they saw as they pulled up to St. Michaels and Cerrillos.

“Two men, beating each other up, rolling around together fighting,” said Andrea Miera, one of the witnesses the day of the fatal shooting.

Cell phone video presented in court, shows Vigil on top of Rougemont at first, punching Rougemont. Prosecuting attorneys say that’s when Rougemont shot Vigil, the video shows Rougemont stood up, and pointed the gun at Vigil, before walking away.

Prosecutors argued that Rougemont’s willingness to fire a gun in such a busy intersection shows he doesn’t care about the safety of others, making him a danger to the public. The defense argued Rougemont shot Vigil in self defense.

“There’s absolutely no suggestion that he had any advantage in that fight at all,” said Rougemont’s defense attorney. Ultimately the judge decided to put Rougemont on house arrest saying he is not a threat to the community.

Rougemont was released to his parents and will stay at their home once all of their guns are removed. He will be wearing an ankle monitor.