Rick George, a former day laborer for Bonaguidi Construction, was arrested for allegedly raping a local woman and for also aggravated battery with the intent to commit a felony.

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Arnold Noriega was called to TravelCenters of America Motel on Aug. 29 and arrived to a frantic and violent scene. For starters,  he was greeted by Lucita James, who had been drinking, and told him, “you guys are too late.”

Noriega went up to Room 115, where he found George lying face down on the floor with a white shirt and no clothing on from the waist down. His face was bloody and  he was being detained by motel guest Milton Wood and motel manager Leonard Tso...

Paul Thompson, 56, Prewitt, NM

Aug. 29, 9:30 pm

Felony DWI, 4th Offense

This intoxicated driver thought he could slide past the DWI checkpoint, but Gallup Police Department Officer Steven Peshlakai wasn’t about to let that happen. When he pulled Thompson over at Aztec Laundry Mat, he tried to hide behind the light pole, which obviously didn’t help him any. He smelled of alcohol and failed the field sobriety tests. He submitted two blood alcohol breath tests, which revealed a 0.18/0.17. A fourth DWI resulted in the felony charge.

Francina A. Smith, 39, Gallup, NM

Aug. 23, 9 pm

DWI, 3rd Offense

Smith racked up a slew of other charges, in addition to receiving a DWI...

Man helps police nab bike thief

Aug. 15

It’s not often that victims of theft get to recover their stolen items. But Gallup Police Department Officer Angelo Cellicion, was able to quickly recover two bikes from alleged thief Terrance Yellowhorse, 40, of Gallup, thanks to some good timing and a random informant. Steven Stines of Brighton, Colo. was staying at the Days Inn east when he noticed that his 26” Giant mountain bike and 20” Dyno customer boys BMX – worth a combined $1,400 – were stolen off the back of his vehicle. Cellicion asked the hotel manager to review video footage, which showed the theft in progress. But, it was that stranger who help fill in the...

John Robert Emerson, 25, Gallup, NM

Aug. 9, 1:01 am

A low speed pursuit on the streets of Gallup, reaching a top speed pursuit of 40 mph – from near R&M Furniture to 1511 Gold Ave – earned Emerson a DWI and evading an officer arrest. He had stolen his girlfriend’s car and blew through a stop sign before he eventually pulled over and tried to take off on foot. What likely kept the chase at low speed was a flat tire, according to the police report. Officer Victor Rodriguez didn’t have to chase Emerson or taser him. The taser malfunctioned and a good old-fashioned tackle immediately diffused the situation.

Larro Begay, 23, Sheep Springs, NM

Aug. 12, 8:29 pm

Officer...