Sawmill man faces assault charges

A Sawmill, Ariz., man is facing several counts of battery upon a family member after a June 30 incident at the family home in Sawmill.

Police said they were called to the home about 10:44 p.m. by a family member who said Derrick Wood, 27, was attacking people.

When police arrived, Wood has fled the scene but family members gave an account of what had happened.

Derrick got into a physical altercation with his brother, Freddie Wood, 32, of Sawmill, and then attacked other relatives when they tried to intervene and stop the fight.

Derrick then reportedly pulled out a pocketknife and stabbed his sister, Katherine Wood, 31, of Woodsprings, Ariz., in the chest.

He then attacked Freddie again and when Freddie ended up on the ground outside, Derrick got into his vehicle and ran over his brother's foot before ramming their mother's vehicle and speeding off, family members told police.

Police found the vehicle a few miles away and kept it under observation. When Derrick Wood returned to it, he was arrested.

Accident fatal to man, 96

Police said a 96-year-old Birdsprings, Ariz., man died in an accident July 4.

The victim, identified as Tom Lee, had been sick the previous couple of days, according to his granddaughter, Nadine Thomas, 29.

He began vomiting about 6:30 p.m. and Thomas said she took him outside where he fell forward and struck his face on the concrete sidewalk.

He was unresponsive and firefighters called to the scene tried unsuccessfully to revive him using CPR.

Cope Memorial Chapel in Gallup is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Shiprock jail death under scrutiny

Police are investigating an unattended death that occurred Sunday at the Shiprock jail.

Police said they were notified after inmates began yelling to detention officers that Donald Yellowhorse, 64, of Cove, Ariz., was having problems breathing.

He had been picked up earlier that evening for public intoxication and had been put in a holding cell.

Cause of death still unknown

The body of Lela Blackhorse Martin, 67, of Cortez, Colo., was found June 26 but the cause of death is still unknown, police said.

Her body was discovered about 7:30 p.m. by people in the Aneth, Utah, area just off County Road 407.

The body had been there for some time and police said their investigation revealed no medical problems at the time if her death.

Police are continuing to investigate.

Collision fatal to Lupton man

A Lupton, Ariz., man died June 29 in a two-vehicle accident near the Window Rock fairgrounds just off State Highway 264.

The victim is identified as 66-year-old Edison Cowboy Sr.

Steven Dale Jr., no age or address given, called police and said he was the driver of the other vehicle, which turned out to be water truck carrying 4,000 gallons of water.

Dale said a vehicle had rear-ended him. Dale said the vehicle, which had been driven by Cowboy, was badly damaged and its driver was not responding.

Firefighters used CPR but Cowboy was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital.

Back to top ^