Ryan Westman, who is facing charges in both McKinley and San Juan counties, remains incarcerated in the San Juan County jail as of Feb. 14, as the courts in both counties decide who will try him first.

Since he is facing first-degree murder charges in McKinley County as opposed to charges dealing with a police pursuit in San Juan County, McKinley County is expected to get the first bite. But when that will happen is still undetermined.

It also appears that Westman, 25, will have to get new legal representation since his current attorneys with the Law Offices of the Public Defender are saying it will pose a conflict of interest for the Gallup agency to continue representing him.

John...

Suspect remains at large

Local law enforcement officials are looking for a tall, heavy-set man in his forties in connection with a sexual assault that occurred Feb. 9, north of Gallup.

According to a report from the Gallup Police Department, the victim was leaving the Octavia Fellin Public Library at about 8:15 pm when a man approached her and asked for a ride. She told police she ignored the man but when she opened her door he pushed an object against the right side of her back and told her not to scream.

The assailant then allegedly pushed her into the passenger side seat and pointed a handgun at her, telling her to give him her phone. She described the weapon as a silver handgun...

A man found dead on the Interstate 40 median Feb. 9 has been identified as Wil Begay, 25, of Chinle, Ariz.

His body was discovered near mile post 19, and he was hit sometime during the dark, early Friday morning hours.

Gallup Police Department Capt. Marinda Spencer said two calls came in about the body, with the first call coming in shortly after 6 am.

The first caller had reportedly passed through the area by the time they called police, saying there was a dead body on the median. An officer searched the area, but couldn’t locate Begay.

Begay was discovered by a tractor-trailer driver about an hour after the first call. The driver stayed on scene until police arrived.

Spencer...

The robbery was evidently well planned. On Feb 10, a male and female suspect managed to get away with two chainsaws before anyone had a chance to catch them.

The theft happened about 6:11 pm at the T&R Feed and Pawn Store, 667 U.S. Highway 491.

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Ivan Tsethlikai Jr. talked to one of the store clerks who told him that a Native American man and woman came into the store and went immediately to the chainsaw display.

The man, dressed in a grey hoodie and black pants with a surgical mask covering his face, grabbed a 20-inch Husqvarna 372XP priced at $999.99 and ran out of the store. At the same time, the woman, dressed in a grey sweater and Levi pants grabbed a...