Costa Mesa police arrest man who they say attempted to gouge out officer’s eyes

Costa Mesa police said an officer suffered minor injuries Saturday night after a man attempted to gouge out the officer’s eyes at the apartment complex in the 2300 block of Fairview Road.

The department identified the suspect as 25-year-old Marcos Antonio Vargas. Officers had been called to the apartment shortly after 8:30 p.m. by a woman who reported her ex-boyfriend was inside her apartment and was not welcome there.

Officers found Vargas, who is from Costa Mesa, in the kitchen of the apartment and a brief struggle ensued during which Vargas “became combative and tried to gouge out the officer’s eyes with his fingers and hands,” said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Matt Selinske.

A second officer on the scene used a Taser gun to restrain Vargas, Selinske said.

The first officer had several scrapes and scratches on his face and around his right eye and is “sore, but otherwise uninjured,” Selinske said.

The injured man has been with the Costa Mesa Police Department for two years and is expected to return to work this week.

Vargas was being held at the Orange County Jail. According to police, he was arrested on suspicion of felony attempted mayhem, assault and battery of an officer, and misdemeanor resisting arrest and trespassing.