Stabbing claims a life

WINDOW ROCK - A Leupp, Ariz., man is in jail facing murder charges in the June 4 stabbing death of another Leupp man.

Police identified the victim as Brian Singer, 24.

According to police, at about 10:22 a.m. Singer was drinking with Kirk Baker, 18, about 1.3 miles south of milepost 19 on Navajo Route 5.

An argument began and got physical. Baker reportedly stabbed the victim with a sharp object, and Singer died at the scene, police said.

Man injured in fire

KAYENTA - One man was injured in a June 9 house trailer fire that occurred about a mile east of U.S. 163, milepost 410, near Kayenta.

Injured in the fire was Elwayne Gray, 46.

Gray told police that he was the only occupant of the trailer at the time of the fire. He had spent part of the evening talking with friends and had gone to bed about 10 p.m.

He work up about 1:30 a.m. and noticed smoke. He then found his restroom on fire.

A neighbor, Leonard Singer, told police he woke up about the same time after hearing popping sounds coming from outdoors.

When he looked outside, he saw what appeared to be flying dirt and saw the bedroom in Gray's trailer on fire. He then saw Gray run out of the trailer with his head on fire. Gray used his hands to put out the fire, said Singer, noting that Gray's feet appeared to be severely burnt.

Gray then ran to his neighbor's house and called the police and fire department.

Fire officials said they had no immediate cause of the fire.

Two treated for gunshot wounds

SHIPROCK - Tribal police are still trying to piece together how two men ended up in the Shiprock hospital with gunshot wounds on June 6.

It began about 3:15 p.m. with a call saying that Leo Bedah, 44, of Sanostee, N.M., had been beaten up.

Police responded but by the time they started toward Sanostee, they received word that he was being taken to Shiprock for treatment, along with Leondro Duncan, 36, of Table Mesa, N.M., who, like Bedah, had been shot.

Police later found out that Bedah had been badly beaten as well, but as the police report was written, details of how the injuries occurred were still unknown.

Kayenta man dead in rollover

Details are sketchy but police said that a single vehicle rollover on June 3 took the live of a Kayenta man.

The victim was identified as Lenard Spark, 46.

The accident took place about 8:57 p.m. on U.S. Highway 163 near milepost 397.

Man injured in fight

A May 19 fight between a Steamboat, Ariz., man and one from Sawmill, Ariz., send one to the hospital and police searching for the other.

Police said Aaron Brown, 23, of Steamboat, and Travis Johnson, no age given, of Sawmill, got in a fight at a house in Ganado, Ariz. about 7:53 p.m.

After the fight, Johnson allegedly went to his vehicle and got a knife, returning to the house to stab Brown in the back.

Brown was transported to Sage Memorial Hospital and Johnson fled the scene.

Alcohol was not a factor in the incident, police said.

1 arrested in store robbery

Convenience stores on the reservation have been hit hard in recent weeks by robbers.

This time it was the Mustang store in Ganado, Ariz., and this time, police made an arrest.

At about 1:40 a.m. on May 17, a man came into the store and told the clerk he had a weapon, demanding the money in the cash register, police said. The clerk complied and the robber then fled on foot.

Police said they managed to identify the suspect - although how was not spelled out in the police report - and arrested Rydel Mudman, 20, at his home in Ganado.

The store clerk was not harmed and police said they were able to recover a portion of the stolen money.

Man arrested for violating court order

A Sanders, Ariz., man was arrested June 3 for interfering with a judicial proceeding.

Police said they were called to the Sanders Chapter House by Mae Thompson and told that Jerry H. Thompson, 70, of Sanders, was violating a court protective order by being there.

Police found Thompson sitting in the lobby of the chapter house. When he was informed that he was being arrested, police said he "became uncooperative and resisted arrest."

Sanders man takes own life

A Sanders, Ariz., man died by his own hand after a stabbing incident at a party.

Police said Bruce Atakai, 42, was listed as a suspect in the stabbing, which occurred May 5 at a party in Sanders.

Alcoholic beverages were being served when a fight broke out and two men - no names listed - were stabbed.

Police were called but by the time they arrived, Atakai had gone home and committed suicide with a self-inflicted wound to the head.

The two stabbing victims were taken to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment.

Crownpoint Chapter House vandalized

CROWNPOINT, N.M. - Navajo Nation police are investigating a break-in at the Crownpoint Chapter House, which was vandalized and left with thousands of dollars in damages late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Police have several suspects and leads from witnesses. The investigation is ongoing, said investigating officer Chris R. Tsosie, who was at the scene Tuesday morning.

It's not the first time that the chapter house was vandalized and robbed. There were three previous break-ins in the last few months, Tsosie said.

The vandals destroyed thousands of dollars of computer equipment, trashed important documents and poured soda on the walls.

Donovan Becenti, Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations' evidence technician, said this was "your random case of vandalism."

At the point of entry - a north window - Becenti noted that the vandals unhinged the iron cage railing to slide the window open.

The chapter spent $3,000 to 5,000 on the iron cage railings for the windows, said Delchena Dudley, an office specialist at the chapter house.

Dudley estimated the damage at more than $30,000 including damaged computers and a copying machine.    "They trashed the walls and everything," Dudley said. "Whoever did it is irresponsible. How they can disrespect a place that could help them? It's just all wrong."

Dudley remembers the last time the chapter was broken into in February when vandals took some of the chapter's money by destroying their safe box.

Tuba City man robbed, kidnapped

FLAGSTAFF - On June 8 at approximately 11 p.m., a Tuba City man was kidnapped and robbed at gun point from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Flagstaff, according to the Flagstaff Police Department.

Jeremy Dele, 29, was walking with his girlfriend in the parking lot to go shopping when he was summoned by a black male in a car.

Dele walked to the passenger side of the car and saw another man in the backseat of the car pointing a gun at him. The men told Dele to get into the car and he complied.

Dele was driven a short distance away from the scene and told to give the men his cell phone and wallet. Dele was then released.

He ran back to Wal-Mart and called police. Dele described the car and gave an Arizona license number. Flagstaff Police Officers broadcast the descriptions and direction of travel last seen by Dele.

Yavapai County deputies located the vehicle with the two suspects in the area of Sunset Point on I-17 southbound. Also located was a large amount of money, the victim's cell phone and a gun.

Emery Johnson, 35, and Matthew Johnson, 26, of Phoenix were transported back to Flagstaff and booked into the Coconino County Jail on armed robbery and kidnapping charges. The investigation is pending.

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