Zane Yazzie
May 10, 8:18 pm
Aggravated DWI, 3rd
The incident began when a police officer for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe noticed a vehicle traveling on Interstate 40 about 8 pm, driving all over the roadway.
The officer, Clayton Martinez, said he got behind the vehicle, turned on his sirens and lights and attempted to do a traffic stop but the driver kept on going. It was at that point he contacted Metro Dispatch and asked for assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Lorenzo Guerrero found the vehicle and Martinez stopped near the off ramp at mile marker 61 and talked to the driver, Zane Yazzie, 46, of Prewitt.
Guerrero said he asked Yazzie why he didn’t stop and Yazzie responded by saying “he did not want to answer the phone.” Guerrero said he asked him the same question again and got the same response.
By this time, Guerrero said he was aware that Yazzie was showing signs of being intoxicated so he asked him if he would be willing to take the field sobriety tests and he said no. At that time he was charged with DWI.
He had admitted that he had a few drinks that day. Guerrero said Yazzie then refused to take a breath alcohol test. It turned out that Yazzie had two prior DWI convictions. At that pointed he was transported to the county jail where he was charged with aggravated DWI, evading a police officer and failure to maintain a roadway.
Michelle Lomaintewa
May 9, 10:16 pm
DWI
McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Johnson Lee was on patrol about 10 pm when Metro Dispatch told him a caller had phone in and reported a Jeep that was traveling all over the roadway on U.S. Highway 491. The caller was still driving behind the vehicle.
Lee said he got into the median in front of the vehicle, and when it passed, he said the caller pointing toward the Jeep which was going onto the shoulder of the road.
He conducted a traffic stop and asked the driver, Michelle Lomaintewa, 34, of Gamerco, if she had been drinking. She admitted having a shot of vodka and another drink at the Sagebrush on State Highway 264, prior to getting in her vehicle.
Lee said he also noticed signs that she was intoxicated, and said he also saw an opened liquor container in her vehicle. When asked if she would do field sobriety tests, she refused, but she did agree to take a breath alcohol tests and posted two samples of .15 each.
She was transported to the county jail where she was charged with DWI (first offense) and having an open liquor container in her vehicle.
Bryson Silago
May 5, 9:45 pm
Aggravated DWI, robbery
Gallup Patrolman Daniel Brown said he received a call of a possible robbery at the Laundry Basket, 1816 East Highway 66, about 9:45 p.m. At the time, he was a block from that address and had no problem locating the vehicle that had left the scene of the incident.
The vehicle at first refused to stop, but the driver finally went into the parking lot of the Subway store at 2206 E. Highway 66.
Brown said he told the driver, Bryson Silago, 30, of Rock Springs to get out of the vehicle.
Because he had refused to stop, Brown went to place handcuffs on him but he at first resisted by tensing up with his hands in front of his chest. So, he handcuffed him behind his back.
Brown said he asked Silago where he was coming from and he said The Laundry Basket and added that someone had “kind of” swung at him.
Brown then took him back to the laundromat where he met with Lavern Emerson, a customer who identified Silago as a man she saw drinking outside the business. She said Silago was standing in front of the business laughing and told her he was going to rob the place and asked if she wanted to take part in the robbery and split the money afterwards.
She said she refused and he once again told her he was going to rob the place so she went back to her husband and they called police.
Lakeisha Nez, an employee at the laundromat, said Silago approached her and tried grabbing the money bag she had in her hand, saying he was “going to get her money.” He grabbed her by the forearm and threw her to the ground.
She said she hurt her wrist in the fall, but got up and went into the laundromat and locked the door. Both she and Emerson identified Silago as the man who they were talking about.
Brown said Silago was showing signs of being intoxicated, so he was asked to take a field sobriety test and he refused. When Brown asked if he was willing to take a breath alcohol test, Silago appeared not to understand what was being asked; and even though Brown repeated the request several times, all Silago continued to ask was why he was being taken to jail.
Finally, Brown took that as a refusal and transported Silago to the county jail to be booked For DWI, robbery and resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer.
Gilbert M. Morales
May 6, 7:53 pm
Aggravated DWI
Gallup Patrolman Norman Bowman said he received a call to attempt to locate a vehicle that had almost collided with another vehicle as it was leaving the Fire Rock Navajo Casino and then was seen heading west weaving in the road.
He said he located the vehicle at the 3700 block of East Highway 66 and talked to the driver, Gilbert Morales, 38, of Randall, TX.
Bowman said Morales showed signs of being intoxicated, but when asked where he was coming from, he denied he had been at the casino. He did admit, however, to having drinks earlier in Vegas. He said he had four drinks and Bowman said he found four empty liquor containers in the vehicle.
Morales refused to take field sobriety tests, but did agree to take a dexterity test, which he failed and was then placed under arrest. He also refused to take a breath alcohol test.
Lorenzo Johnson
May 3, 8:31 pm
Aggravated DWI
Several Gallup Police officers were involved in the arrest of Lorenzo Johnson, 55, of Church Rock after his vehicle was seen weaving all over the roadway.
Officer Justin Benally was the first to try and stop him but he refused to stop, and Benally kept in pursuit until he was directed to stop it. A few minutes later Benally was told that the vehicle had run into type rear of another vehicle at Highway 66 and Boardman Drive.
At that point Mark Spencer, who was on DWI patrol took over the investigation. Johnson showed signs of being intoxicated and police found several empty liquor containers in his vehicle.
When he was questioned, Spencer said Johnson appeared more interested in being combative with the police officers than he did in answering any questions. He refused to take a field sobriety test and since he had three previous DWI convictions, Spencer filled out a search warrant and had a judge signed it so he could get a blood alcohol sample taken at the Gallup Indian Medical Center.
Since Johnson was involved in a car accident, GIMC a personnel also were asked to give him a medical clearance, and once that was given, he was transported to the county jail and charged with aggravated DWI, driving on a revoked driver’s license, having an open liquor container in his vehicle and failure to stay in his lane.
Staff Reports
