Police Blotter: Shiprock man sentenced to 11 years
ALBUQUERQUE
Peterson Yazzie, 34, who resides in Shiprock, has been sentenced in federal district court here to 11 years in federal prison for his conviction on firearms and stalking charges. Yazzie will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
Yazzie was arrested on April 24 on a criminal complaint alleging that he stalked his former intimate partner, a Navajo woman, by leaving numerous threatening messages in her cellphone voicemail box on April 12, 2014.
In some of the messages, Yazzie threatened to shoot the victim and her new boyfriend. The criminal complaint also alleged that Yazzie assaulted the victim’s new boyfriend on April 12, 2014, by firing multiple shots at a vehicle the boyfriend was driving.
On July 21, 2014, Yazzie pleaded guilty to the two-count felony information. In his plea agreement, Yazzie admitted stalking his former intimate partner on April 12, 2014, by leaving messages on her cellphone voicemail box including one in which he threatened to “put a bullet in her head,” causing the victim to fear that death or seriously bodily injury would occur.
Yazzie also admitted that on April 12 he committed a crime of violence by using a rifle to shoot at a vehicle driven by the second victim. Yazzie acknowledged committing both crimes within the Navajo Reservation.
Pedestrian hit, killed on I-40
GALLUP — On Dec. 7, 2014, at approximately 12:31 a.m., New Mexico State Police from the Gallup District responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Interstate 40, milepost 30, near Gallup, according to a news release from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
The pedestrian passed away at the scene. He has been identified as Travis Silversmith, 44, of Gallup. The vehicle occupants did not sustain any injuries.
Based on the investigation, it appears the passenger vehicle was traveling westbound on I-40. Silversmith attempted to cross the road, but was struck by the vehicle.
Alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor.
This crash remains under investigation.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow