5 five children in car that goes off road

Navajo Nation Police found themselves pursuing a car in the Leupp, Ariz., area that they later found contained five children.

The incident occurred on Nov. 14 on State Route 99 near the Little Colorado River. Police said they were called to the area because of concerns about the driving of a vehicle.

When they got 1.5 miles west of State Route 99 near milepost 69.5, they saw the vehicle in question and began chasing it until the vehicle went off the road and then went into a ravine where it stopped.

At that point, the driver, identified as Al Shonnie Ben Sr., 37, of Leupp, jumped out of the car and ran toward the river. Two adult passengers, Alexandra Ben, 40, and Tiffany Ben, 21, both of Winslow, as well as five children, also got out of the car.

These seven were taken to the Little Colorado Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.

As for Al Ben, police said they searched the area but couldn't find him. The case is still ongoing.

Suspect charged with aggravated battery

In a follow-up to a police report from a couple of weeks ago, on Oct. 31 police investigated a report that Lorenzo Baldwin had hit Quince Lee Brown in an incident that took place in the Jeddito, Ariz., area.

On Nov. 10, a tribal police officer, accompanied by an FBI agent, went back to Jeddito and managed to track down Baldwin, who admitted that he did assault Brown.

He was arrested for aggravated battery and the FBI agent took him to the Coconino County Sheriff's Department pending a  federal hearing.

Fire destroys mobile home

Police reported a structure fire on Nov. 13 that totally destroyed a mobile home belonging to Linda Yazzie of Whitecone, Ariz.

Three fire units were dispatched about 11:42 to battle the fire but by the time they arrived, the trailer was destroyed.

Police said that EMTs who went to the area to provide medical treatment to anyone injured in the blaze were greeted by residents who yelled obscenities and told them they didn't want their help.

Police said that the investigation to determine what caused the fire is still underway.

Drinking party gets violent

First there was the drinking party. Then there was the fight and then everyone got arrested.

That's what happened on Nov. 14 when police were dispatched to a Mutual Help Housing unit in Tuba City about 7:15 p.m.

The police had already received a call that there was a fight in progress and one of the persons had a knife. Then there was another call that someone had an ax.

When police got to the scene, the first person they saw was Samuel Yazzie, age and address unknown. Yazzie told police that he was struck by Christopher Washington, 34, of Tuba City, with a pole. He showed police redness in his left rib area.

A couple of minutes later, Debra Charley, 50, of Tuba City, told police that she was also attacked by Washington, who this time had a knife in his hand. She showed police a small cut on her left hand.

Both were sent to the Tuba City hospital emergency room for treatment of their injuries. Washington was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct.

But it didn't end there.

Talking to witnesses uncovered the fact that there had been a liquor party going on when Washington and Yazzie got into a fight that began in the house but then went outside.

When this was going on, witnesses said Charley grabbed an ax and started breaking up the living room windows and that is how she got the cut on her hand.

At that point, police went to the hospital and arrested both Charley and Yazzie as well, charging them with disorderly conduct.

Back to top ^