Man battered with firearm
Navajo Times staff report
WINDOW ROCK, Oct. 6, 2011
A report of a male shot in the head was received by the Shiprock police on Sept. 24.
When police arrived in Sanostee, they discovered Marvin Nathaniel, 32, of Sanostee, battered with several blows to the head. However, he was conscious and breathing.
Trevor Begay, 22, of Sanostee, told police that earlier in the evening Dominic Sisco, 19, of Sanostee, had come to his house with an unknown person.
A fight began and Sisco reportedly began waving a firearm and fired a shot into the air. He then reportedly struck Nathaniel in the head with the firearm several times.
Another individual, identified as Milton Washburn, 26, of Sanostee, was also alleged to have been struck.
Police were told that Sisco then left the residence in a truck and Begay sought medical help for Nathaniel. Both Nathaniel and Washburn were taken to the Northern Navajo regional Medical Center for treatment.
2 die from gunshots
Navajo Nation Police were called to Vanderwagen, N.M., on Sept. 30 to help McKinley County deputies handle a double shooting.
When police arrived at the scene, they found two bodies on the ground, later identified as John Chee, 21, and Jairus Francisco, 27, both of Vanderwagen.
According to police, Chee had been showing off his Glock pistol and commenting about its safety features. To prove his point, he put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger and it clicked.
He then pointed it at a 15-year-old boy at the scene who told him to point it somewhere else. That somewhere else was at Francisco. Chee pulled the trigger again and it went off, instantly killing Francisco.
Chee panicked then laid down beside Francisco and pointed the gun at his own head and fired it, killing himself.
Police later said they had been drinking prior to the incident.
Man stabbed in Fort Defiance
Police received a call on Sept. 24 about a man who had been stabbed at Balsom Court in Fort Defiance and then taken to Tsehootsooi Medical Center.
The victim, identified as Eric Burbank, 23, of Pinedale, N.M., reportedly got into a fight with his girlfriend - identified as Charliah Begay, 21, of Navajo, N.M. - over texting.
As he was attempting to leave, Begay reportedly stabbed him in the neck with an unknown weapon.
Burbank was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment.
The case is still under investigation.
Man reported threatening people
Another stabbing was reported to have occurred on Sept. 25 in the Many Farms, Ariz., area.
In this case, tribal police were called to the Smith residence in Many Farms because of a report of a man with a rifle and knife who was threatening people.
When they arrived at the home of Gary Smith, 47, and Geraldine Smith, 44, they found no rifle but they did find a knife.
It turned out that Jeffery Martinez, 28, of Many Farms, was seen climbing into a residence and busting through the front door.
Police arrived on the scene, found him and ordered him to lay down on the ground. He refused and since he was a known felon and police weren't sure whether he still had a knife, officers tazered him to get him under control.
When he was handcuffed, a search revealed no sign of a knife or any other weapon. The police report said that he had probably tossed it somewhere.
Man catches ride, stabbed
Tribal police received yet another report of a man suffering from a stab wound to the neck on Sept. 23 in Fort Defiance.
The man was at the 7-to-11 store in Fort Defiance and from there had been transported to the local hospital.
An investigation revealed that the victim - identified as Raymond Tsosie, 50, of Kinlichee, Ariz. - had caught a ride.
Later, the driver picked up two other individuals, who turned out to be Tsosie's ex-wife and her current boyfriend, who was identified as Benny Wilson, no age given, of Navajo, N.M.
Police said that an argument ensued between the three and Tsosie was stabbed while he was in the vehicle and was then dropped off at the convenience store.
Police said this case is still under investigation.
Man shot in leg
Navajo police received a call on Sept. 22 from a man who was driving on U.S. Highway 191 south of Ganado and reported a man with a gunshot wound.
The victim - Darlo Dealison, 31, of Klagetoh, Ariz. - had caught a ride with Lyle Evans, 22, of Ganado, to Evan's residence where they began arguing.
Evans then reportedly began waving around a firearm and shot off several rounds, one of them hitting the victim in the leg.
Dealison was taken to Sage Memorial Hospital and then flown to Flagstaff for treatment
Police said they found Evans at his residence and placed him under arrest. Alcohol was reported to have been a contributing factor in this incident.
Gas leak at Whitehorse Lake
A propane leak was discovered at the Whitehorse Lake Chapter House on Sept. 20 by an observant tribal police officer who was at the chapter on other matters and smelled a strong odor of propane.
After the 25 people were evacuated, the officer investigated and discovered that the smell from coming from a faulty stove in the kitchen.
He turned off the valve to the stove and called the Pueblo Pintado Fire and Rescue Squad, who came to do their own investigation.
They agreed with the findings of the police officer and chapter officials were told to repair the stove as soon as possible.
Another stabbing in Fort Defiance
Yet another report of a wound to the neck sent tribal police to a residence about one mile west of the chapter house in Fort Defiance.
There they found Jonathan Wauneka, no age given, with a stab wound to the neck and Jones Wauneka, no age given, with a cut on his arm.
No details were given as to how the wounds occurred but police said that after the two were transported to the Tsehootsooi Medical Center, a search was conducted for the suspect, who was identified as Jeremiah Wallace, no age or address given. But police were not able to locate him.
5 sentenced for defacing site
TUCSON - Johnathan Lopez, 23, Andrew Magallanes, 21, Robert Norton, 23, Cynthia Norton, 20 and Vilma Curiel, 22, all of Sahuarita, Ariz., were sentenced to five years supervised probation and each is required to pay $7,848 in restitution. All pleaded guilty on June 6 to defacing an archeological resource, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
In March 2009, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger observed that an archeological site had been damaged by graffiti when he was patrolling BLM land west of Sahuarita.
The area, known as Indian Kitchen, was first used by the prehistoric Hohokam Indians as a large food processing area.
An investigation led to the prosecution of the five defendants. The damage done was estimated to exceed $40,000. In addition, a juvenile involved was required to pay $4,000 in restitution.
ALBUQUERQUE - Kendra Renae Chester, 24, Navajo, who resides in Gallup, was sentenced Oct. 4 to a 35-day term of imprisonment with credit for time served, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
According to court records, on Dec. 2, 2010, Navajo police officers responded to a report of a rollover accident near Refuge Rock Road and Twin Butte Road, a location near Mentmore, N.M.
Upon arrival, the officers noted that the two occupants of the overturned vehicle, Chester and her four and one half month old son, had sustained injuries.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the infant had been ejected from a car seat in the vehicle. Navajo police officers noted that while the seat belt appeared to be working properly, the car seat was not properly restrained by the seat belt.
Chester was determined to be driving the vehicle while intoxicated. The infant was treated at a hospital and did not suffer any life-threatening injuries.
Chester has been placed on supervised release for one year with a special condition that Chester must remain in home detention and is allowed to leave the residence only during the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chester was also ordered to participate in alcohol counseling.
Man pleads guilty to cocaine charges
ALBUQUERQUE - Devon Wyaco, 20, of Zuni, N.M., pleaded guilty Oct. 3 to one count of a three-count indictment charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Wyaco admitted possession of approximately 3.47 grams of cocaine with the intention of delivering it to another person.
Wyaco faces a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and up to five years of supervised release.
Man arrested for stealing cattle guard
FLAGSTAFF - On Sept. 28, 2011, at 10 a.m., deputies responded to Hunt Road in the Turquoise Ranches subdivision, northwest of Winslow, for a report of someone trying to take a cattle guard, according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
When deputies arrived local residents pointed out a spare cattle guard that had been pulled out of the ground on the side of Hunt Road. Witnesses indicated that a male subject had attempted to remove the cattle guard with his truck.
At 3:45 p.m. deputies received a second call from residents off of Hunt Road indicating the subject had returned.
Officers and deputies made contact with Calvin Johnson, 47, of Winslow, loading a large steel cattle guard onto a flat bed trailer attached to his truck.
Johnson admitted that he was going to scrap the metal at a local scrap yard for money. Johnson also admitted involvement in the theft of several other roadway culvert pipes off of Hunt Road.
Johnson is currently being held in the Coconino County Detention Facility on $10,000 bond for theft, trafficking in stolen property and fraud charges.