ALBUQUERQUE — Lyle Ryan Begaye, 44, of Tohlakai, N.M., an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was sentenced June 2 in federal court to three years and 10 months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.

Begaye pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2020.

In his plea agreement, Begaye admitted to assaulting the victim on June 1, 2020, in Bernalillo County.

In the agreement it stated that Begaye became jealous and struck the victim with his fist approximately 30 times on multiple parts of her body — once for each letter in the first and last names of three men with whom he believed she was being unfaithful.

Begaye then physically...

As Gallup’s population continues to age, city administrators have begun looking at building a bigger senior citizen center, and Mayor Louis Bonaguidi said it could be ready as soon as 2023, or 2024 at the latest.

The city used to have two senior citizen centers, one on the north side of the city; Neighborhood Senior Center at 607 N. Fourth St. - and the other on the south side, Ford Canyon Senior Center at 908 E Buena Vista Ave. Both of the centers had been running for about 30 years, according to Bonaguidi, before the Ford Canyon Senior Center was shut down about four years ago.

Neighborhood’s senior program director Kimberly Ross-Toledo explained that the south side center was...

VANDAL ATTACKS D.A.’S OFFICE, LEAVES PRINTS
Gallup, June 2

Someone went on a rampage at the McKinley County District Attorney’s office when they stole a sign and broke some windows.

On June 2, around 6:07 am, McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Davis Jr. was dispatched to the District Attorney’s office in Gallup at 207 West Hill Avenue because someone had stolen a sign from outside the building.

When he arrived at the scene he met with the a member of the building’s maintenance staff, who showed the deputy that someone had stolen a sign and pulled a green steel post out of the ground on the east side of the courthouse. He then took him to the north side of the office, where...

Feron Tapahia
May 30, 6:47 pm
Aggravated DWI

McKinley County Sergeant Tammy Houghtaling was parked along Highway 400 when she saw a silver vehicle traveling north flashing its headlights on and off. There was a white pickup truck speeding immediately behind it.

The pickup appeared to swerve across the road and the silver vehicle pulled off. The truck passed it, eventually stopping near the onramp of I-40, exit 33.

Houghtaling pulled up to the pickup and met the driver, identified as Feron Tapahia, 23, of Pinedale, N.M., who stated he had been drinking earlier. Tapahia’s passenger said he tried to tell Tapahia he had too much to drink, but he would not listen.

Houghtaling’s...