Los Alamos man acquitted in battery case involving health care worker

A Los Alamos County jury cleared Chuck Barreras, 64, of Los Alamos, after a three-day trial that ended with not guilty verdicts on battery against a health care worker and every other charge in the case.

The trial ran April 7-9 in Los Alamos County, following a criminal complaint filed April 14, 2025, in First Judicial District Court. The outcome matters beyond one defendant: it shows how closely local courts are watching allegations that arise in medical settings, where staff are expected to treat patients while also dealing with potential threats to their own safety.

The charge fell under New Mexico’s assault and battery statute for health care personnel, which covers conduct involving workers in a “health facility.” State law defines that term broadly, including public and private hospitals, outpatient facilities, diagnostic and treatment centers, rehabilitation centers and infirmaries. In practical terms, that statute is meant to address violence or alleged violence in places where people are already under stress and where a fast, orderly medical environment can be fragile.

The acquittal means jurors did not find the state met its burden of proof. In a case like this, that legal standard is central. Prosecutors can bring charges when they believe a health care worker was targeted or harmed, but a conviction requires evidence strong enough to persuade jurors beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the jury was not convinced.

The case carries added weight in Los Alamos because the county has only one hospital, Los Alamos Medical Center, which describes itself as a 47-bed acute care facility serving Northern New Mexico. The hospital says its emergency room is staffed 24/7, a reminder that nurses, doctors and support staff work around the clock in a setting where tensions can rise quickly and where every shift depends on maintaining order and trust.

The broader policy conversation has also been active in Santa Fe. New Mexico lawmakers moved in 2025 to include battery upon a health care worker among offenses covered by the Victims of Crime Act, a sign that the Legislature views violence in medical settings as a serious public safety issue. Nationally, the Emergency Nurses Association says one-third of emergency nurses have considered leaving the profession because of workplace violence, and it estimates the annual cost of violence in health care at $4.2 billion.

For Los Alamos, the verdict closes one case but leaves the underlying concern in place: hospital staff still work in a county where the only emergency room must remain open, secure and trusted, even when criminal accusations reach the courtroom.