Gallup teens busted at booze party
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Gallup Police arrested 27 underage drinkers, including
two members of the Gallup High School Pompom squad and at least one
basketball player, after witnesses reported a party disturbance on
Thanksgiving eve on Dulce Court in Indian Hills.
When officers first knocked on the door of the residence just before
midnight, police said no one would answer but that they could see
several juveniles inside with open containers of alcohol.
The people inside still did not answer when officers knocked a second
time, police said, and instead began turning out the lights.
Police then had McKinley County Metropolitan Dispatch run license
plates to track down the owners of vehicles parked in front of the
residence and called parents to come and get their children and vehicles.
Only one set of parents showed up . They were able to get their son
and daughter out and take them home, a police report said.
After several more failed attempts to get the partygoers to answer
the door, police left the scene after advising the juveniles to keep
the noise down or else they would have to take other measures.
But officers were dispatched back to the same residence in reference
to another noise disturbance at 1:40 a.m., but the subjects inside
still refused to answer the door.
About that time, the sister of a 15-year-old partygoer arrived at
the residence and asked if she could pick up her sister.
The officers told her that if she could get her sister out she could
take her home, a police report said.
When the 15-year-old told her sister over the phone that the subjects
inside would not let her come out, police contacted the District Attorney's
office to start the process of drafting a search warrant.
Police then advised the girl that if she did not come out, officers
would have to go inside to get her and to tell the people inside that
if they did not let her out they would be arrested for false imprisonment.
She was let out through the back door and the District Attorney directed
police to arrest her if she had been drinking. After failing field
sobriety tests, Jeneway Leyba, 15, was placed under arrest for drinking
as a minor.
Police encircled the house while they waited for the search warrant
when an unknown subject attempted to climb out a window.
When one of the officers drew his weapon and yelled out, "Stop!
Police!" the suspect jumped back into the house, a police report
said.
Police again tried to reason with the partygoers, telling them to
just come outside so officers would not have to break the door down.
But the suspects refused, police said, and began yelling obscenities
at the officers.
About 4:30 a.m., Gallup Police Corporal Anthony Ashley, Magistrate
Judge Rhoda Hunt and Assistant District Attorney John Huntley arrived
with the search warrant.
After police kicked in the back door, an officer and his K-9 unit
gained entry and began clearing out the house.
All the suspects were arrested and initially transported to the Gallup
Police Department so they could be identified by name and age.
Thirteen of those removed from the party were juveniles, some of them
students at Gallup High School, and no one was found to be over age
21.
The following people were booked into the city jail on charges of
drinking as a minor, possession of alcohol as a minor, encouraging
delinquency and unnecessary noise disturbance: Michael Baca, 19, Miguel
Palacios, 19, Ernest Madrid, 19, David Cordova, 18, Alejandro Salcido,
18, Richard Gomez, 20, Michael Crain, 19, Ryan Howes, 18, Brian McKiney,
20, Michael Johnson, 18, Melissa Berg, 19, Danielle Gabaldon, 20 and
Jason Gomez, 20.
Denise Rodriguez, 18, reportedly a pompom squasd member, was arrested
for the above mentioned charges as well as for concealing identity
and obstructing an officer.
The following juveniles were taken to the McKinley County Juvenile
Detention Center on charges of possession of alcohol and public nuisance:
Drew Money, 17 (a member of the basketball team), David Martinez,
14, Joshua Johnson, 15, Eric Madrid, 17, Chad Levon, 16, Michael Salas,
17, Danielle Valdez, 15, Naomi Sikiya, 16, Brandi Howe (another reported
pompom squad member), 17 and Antonia Hernandez, 15.
Denise Valdez, 15, also was charged with drinking as a minor .
Joshua Griego, 17, was booked on an additional charge of disorderly
conduct after police said he would not comply and had to be physically
restrained by officers.
Student affiliations with the pompom squad and basketball team were
not provided by the school system, but were uncovered through other
sources.
School response
Angelo DiPaulo, assistant superintendent for the Gallup McKinley County
School District, said the situation was reported to administrators
last week and that from the information they received, only a few
of the juveniles arrested last week are students at Gallup High School.
Administrators did investigate the incident, he said, and action was
taken early last week, with the district's athletic/activity drug
and alcohol policy being applied to two members of the Gallup High
School Pompom squad.
According to the policy, if an offense can be confirmed through the
eyewitness account of a school district employee, a police report,
a statement of self-incrimination or other credible evidence, the
policy then can be applied.
If the offense can be confirmed and substantiated, on a first offense
students forfeit their privilege to participate in athletics or activities
for the duration of the current season or 30 days, whichever is longer.
Michael Butkovich, principal of Gallup High School, said administrators
still are investigating the incident and as other information becomes
available, they will deal with those students.
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Man charged with 4 murders
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A Farmington man accused of killing a
Shiprock woman earlier this year and a Ganado, Ariz., man in 1998
now has been charged with murder in the deaths of two other men four
years ago.
Robert Fry, 27, also has not been ruled out in investigations into
other unsolved homicides and missing person reports, said Farmington
Detective Sgt. Pat Cordell and San Juan County Sheriff's Lt. Bob Melton.
Fry was charged Monday with two counts of murder in the 1996 deaths
of Matthew Trecker, 18, and Joseph Fleming, 25, both of Farmington.
Trecker and Fleming were found dead at The Eclectic, a downtown Farmington
store that sold knives, swords and occult-oriented crystals.
Fry also has been charged with larceny, two counts of tampering with
evidence and three counts of intimidation of a witness in The Eclectic
case.
Fry has been held in the San Juan County Detention Center on two counts
of first-degree murder in the killings of Betty Lee of Shiprock earlier
this year and Donald Tsosie of Ganado in 1998.
District Attorney Sandra Price said Fry would appear in court this
week to be advised of the new charges. A preliminary hearing will
be scheduled after that.
A patrolman responding to a burglary call discovered the bodies of
Trecker and Fleming early Nov. 29, 1996. Trecker and Fleming had been
beaten and stabbed, and their throats had been slit.
A break in the four-year-old investigation came through information
provided by a witness who has long been suspected of involvement in
the crimes, police said.
On the condition of being granted immunity from prosecution, Harold
Pollock, 28, provided details of the killings that law officers said
could only come from someone who had been at the shop in the early
morning of Nov. 29, 1996.
According to an affidavit, Pollock told police he and Fry were driving
around Farmington when they decided to stop at The Eclectic to use
the bathroom.
Once there, Pollock said he and Fry visited with Fleming while Trecker
was asleep in the back room.
Pollock said that while leaving the business, he and Fry stole merchandise,
which they later buried for fear they would be suspected in the theft.
The pair then returned to the store, again to use the bathroom. According
to the affidavit, Pollock said he was doing just that when he heard
sounds of a struggle.
When he came out of the bathroom, Pollock said Fry was allegedly choking
Fleming with his hands. Pollock said he feared Fry and went back into
the bathroom.
"After a period of time, Fry came into the restroom (with) blood
on his face, hands and clothing," the affidavit said.
Pollock said Fry threatened to kill him and his family members should
he ever disclose the truth about the killings.
Melton said Pollock and Fry were questioned at the time of the killings,
but evidence was lacking to bring charges.
Authorities believe Pollock was willing to now make a statement in
large part because Fry is now in jail, Melton said.
Fry and Leslie Engh, 24, also of Farmington, have been held in the
deaths of Lee, 36, of Shiprock, and Tsosie, 40, of Ganado, Ariz.
Lee was beaten to death with a sledgehammer and her body was found
June 9 in the Twin Peaks area of San Juan County.
Tsosie was fatally beaten with a shovel. His body was found April
29, 1998, at the base of a 30-foot cliff at Head Canyon, south of
Farmington.
Fry and Engh are scheduled to be tried beginning April 9 on charges
of first-degree murder, kidnapping, attempted armed robbery and tampering
with evidence in the Tsosie case.
A June 10 trial has been slated for Fry and Engh on charges of first-degree
murder, kidnapping, attempted criminal sexual penetration and tampering
with evidence in the Lee case.
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Grants man charged in fatal wreck
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Nineteen-year-old Eloy Sandoval has been charged with
two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of great bodily harm
with a motor vehicle for a fatal accident on Aug. 6.
Fernando Rodarte, 20, and Kyle Irwin 19, both of Grants, were pronounced
dead at the scene of the accident. Andrew Kiefer, 18, of Plano, Colo.,
was critically injured. Kiefer was treated at University Medical Center
in Albuquerque.
The wreck occurred at 4:35 p.m. on New Mexico Route 279 between Seboyeta
and Bibo.
According to police, Sandoval's blood alcohol when he was taken to
the hospital was .14. The legal limit in New Mexico is .08.
Hank Goke, Cibola County Sheriff's Department detective, said Sandoval,
who was "pretty badly cut up" in the accident, was treated
for cuts and released after a short stay in the hospital.
All of the men were recent graduates of Grants High School.
Sandoval and Kiefer were riding in the front seat, but they were out
of the car when officers arrived and said neither could remember who
had been driving.
Even though the 1985 Ford Bronco belonged to Sandoval, Goke said there
was not enough initial information to determine for certain that he
was the driver. However, before the accident the boys had been at
a hangout spot in Seboyeta known as the Portales. Goke found three
witnesses who were able to put Sandoval behind the wheel that afternoon.
One of them had told the
boys to "buckle up" before they left the party.
Another witness arrived just after the accident took place. He said
Sandoval was the driver and although he was still buckled in, he was
hanging out of the vehicle.
Goke asked the New Mexico State Police Crime Lab to process the vehicle
and then he got a search warrant to collect blood samples from Sandoval
and Kiefer. Once he had collected the data, he sent all of it to the
state crime lab for analysis.
After analyzing the data the lab sent Goke a report that indicated
who the driver was based on the evidence from the car.
Goke used that information along with the information he had gathered
from witnesses to determine Sandoval was the driver and he issued
a warrant for Sandoval's arrest. He said Sandoval turned himself in
within two hours after his attorney, Mark Rogar, was informed of the
warrant.
Goke interviewed several people who saw the Bronco on the road that
day and said they remarked at the time it was going too fast and would
never make the turns at such a high speed.
Vehicular homicide and great bodily harm with a motor vehicle are
third-degree felonies and each charge carries a possible sentence
of three years in jail and a $5000 fine. Sandoval could receive up
to nine years in prison for the crimes if he is indicted and convicted.
A Cibola County grand jury is scheduled to hear the case Wednesday.
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Rodeo being held later than usual
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
ALBUQUERQUE — It's two months later than last year's Indian National
Finals Rodeo. But the much-delayed 25th Annual INFR will finally get
underway Wednesday afternoon at Tingley Coliseum at the New Mexico
State Fairgrounds.
The rodeo will run four days until Saturday night as the top Indian
cowboys and cowgirls from the 12 Indian rodeo associations in the
United States and Canada will be competing. There will be two performances
daily at 1 and 7 p.m.
A host of former world champions will be competing in this year's
silver anniversary edition of the INFR.
Representing the Navajo Nation Rodeo Cowboys Association (NNRCA) will
be former two-time world champion Julius Y.
Begay of Shiprock along with Jarvis Woody of Rock Point, Ariz. in
the bull riding; former three-time world champion James Hunt Jr. of
Toadlena and Patrick Smith of Steamboat, Ariz. in the saddle bronc;
Ernest Bitsui of Steamboat and former world champion Bennie Begay
of Rock Point in the bareback; Donovan Yazzie of Albuquerque and Benson
Charley of Standing Rock in the calf roping; Robert Tom of Pinon,
Ariz. and Tyrone Tsosie of Crownpoint in the steer wrestling; the
team of Roderick and Reginald Tso of Blue Gap, Ariz. and the team
of Tedson and Clarence Yazzie of Mexican Springs in the team roping;
Shannon Burnette of Window Rock, Ariz. and Leeja Bitsoi of Twin Lakes
in the barrel racing; and April Pablo of Standing Rock and Jacey Mike
of Fruitland in the breakaway roping.
Representing the Southwest Indian Rodeo Association (SWIRA) are Mike
Murphy of Fort Wingate and Daniel Billy of Manuelito in the bareback;
Ramos Benny of Bloomfield and Benson Kee of Keams Canyon, Ariz. in
the saddle bronc; Alfonso Francis of Ganado, Ariz. and Alan Smith
of Peridot, Ariz. in the bull riding; Gerald Daye of Gallup and Fritzgerald
Lupe of Whiteriver, Ariz. in the calf roping; former world champion
Ben Bates Jr. of Mexican Springs and Dwayne Salaway of Fort Defiance,
Ariz. in the steer wrestling; the team of Marco Sells and former world
champion Lucius Sells of Rough Rock, Ariz.
and the team of Fritzgerald Lupe and Roger Lupe Jr. of Whiteriver
in the team roping; Nicole Welch Romo of Prescott, Ariz.
and Charlene Jackson of Casa Grande, Ariz. in the barrel racing and
Carole Holyan of Casa Grande and Brandi Enos Janis of Fort McDowell,
Ariz. in the breakaway roping.
Also expected to be competing will be former three-time world champion
Marty Hebb of Eagle Butte, South Dakota in the saddle bronc; former
seven-time world champion Spike Guardipee of Browning, Montana in
the calf roping; former world champion Terry Fisher of Fort Yates,
North Dakota in the calf roping; former world champion Jay Louis of
Casa Grande in the saddle bronc; defending world champion Phillip
Whiteman Jr. of Lame Deer, Montana in the saddle bronc; former world
champion Ted Hoyt of Browning, Montana in the team roping; and former
world champion Courtney Small of Poplar, Montana in the breakaway
roping.
Noticeably missing from this year's INFR contingent are defending
all-around world champion Ed Holyan of Casa Grande, Ariz. and defending
team roping world champion Everett Etsitty and Shawn Murphy.
General admission tickets are $12, $16 for chairback reserved and
$20 for premium box seats.
The New Mexico State Fairgrounds is located between Central and Lomas
and Louisiana and San Pedro.
For more information call (505) 488-6131 or visit www.infrodeo.com.
Athletes of the week
Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer
The Athletes of the Week for the week of November 27-December 4 are
Valley Pirate Ardell Watchman and Shiprock Lady Chieftain Jamie Pine.
Watchman was named MVP in the Williams Christmas Touranment this weekend.
He was the team's leading scorer, scoring 41 points in the first round
against Needles, CA. Watchman then came back the next night and scored
20 against Mogollon and 14 against Seligman.
Watchman also scored 16 points in the Pirates big win over Rock Point
106-52 earlier in the week.
"It feels pretty good," said Watchman of being selected
as Athlete of the Week.
Besides playing basketball, Watchman also runs for the track team
and was a member of this year's Valley Pirates football team which
finished second in the 2A North and qualified for the state playoffs.
Only a sophomore, Watchman has set his and his team's expectations
high this year.
Winning state is one of the goals that he hopes to accomplish this
year. Watchman said that he thinks the team, now at 7-0, has a chance
to go undefeated this year.
"I think I have done pretty good so far this year," he said.
He said that he thinks his best game was the tournament
championship game.
Watchman said that he helps the team out with his rebounding.
Pine, a junior at Shiprock High School, said that the main goal she
set has already been reached this year.
"I have reached all of my goals, I came off my injury."
Pine tore her ACL in April and has been trying to come back from the
injury since.
"Mt first game I was a little nervous, but slowly I have gotten
into the flow and have been doing good ever since," she said.
Pine said that she believes she has come back better
than before the injury, and her stats back up the claim. Pine scored
45 points in three games in the Lady Chieftain Invitational this weekend.
She helped her team win the championship against Pojoaque and led
all players with 19 points. After the tournament Pines was named the
MVP of the tournament.
Though she has had a succesful season so far, Pines does not want
to take credit for all of the teams success.
"We are working together and hopefully we can unite as one and
be succesfull as a team," she said.
Pine said that she and her teammates work hard in practice, and that
the team's success is not based around one player.
"Everyone is good at one thing on the team. Some of us are good
at two or three things, but each player tends to be better at one
thing."
Pine said that her strong point is her ball handling and her free
throw shooting.
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Grants council kills section on comments
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — While there were plenty of fireworks at the Milan village
meeting last week, the Grants City Council meeting left many who attended
wondering what happened.
There were no emotion-packed words exchanged, no stern looks. In fact,
other than a few housekeeping planning and zoning issues, not much
else happened at the meeting.
After the meeting, though, Councilor Shirley Taylor presented a written
response to some of the issues that cropped up at the last meeting.
Taylor was absent from that meeting, visiting relatives for Thanksgiving.
The thing that may have contributed to the calm demeanor of the meeting
was the fact that the councilor comment section held after the regular
meeting has now been eliminated...
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Harvard honors Navajo Archaeology Department
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Archaeology Department received
Harvard's Honoring Nations Award for its training program, but only
after tough questioning.
Eight entities won high honors. Eight more, including the Navajo Nation
Archaeology Department, won honors.
The Navajo Nation Archaeology Department was created in 1977 to facilitate
historic preservation on Navajo Nation lands as mandated by both U.S.
and tribal government legislation. It was the first program of its
kind in the nation when it was implemented. In 1988 and 1993, the
department expanded to include training programs undertaken in partnership
with Northern Arizona University and Fort Lewis College.
The programs are designed to give Navajo students the professional
skills needed to conduct important historic preservation activities.
The training programs provide field and laboratory experience to Navajo
graduate and undergraduate students concentrating in anthropology
or archaeology...
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Cops probe shootout, traffic fatal
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — A death and three injuries in two separate traffic
accidents and a shouting match that erupted into gunfire which resulted
in a young man's arm being virtually blown off, kept three Navajo
police districts busy over the weekend.
Police said alcohol was involved in all three incidents.
An exchange of rifle and shotgun fire at a home near the Old Torreon
Day School left two members of a family wounded one with an arm
that was almost severed.
Also, a 52-year-old Shonto man died early Saturday when he was partially
ejected and crushed by a car that rolled over twice on Arizona Route
98. The driver and two other passengers also were injured...
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Study: New Mexico schools have long way to go
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — A report issued by the New Mexico Department of Education
last week indicates that a large number of Native American students
are graduating without the ability to balance a checkbook.
The study, which looks into how well students in the state are doing
in meeting certain educational standards, reports that while the state
is showing "the beginnings of improvements" in mathematics
and other subjects, the state has a long road ahead to catch up with
other states.
Education officials in the Gallup-McKinley County school system have
been saying basically the same thing over the past year in their bi-monthly
reports to the local school board.
The state study shows that Asian students, for the most part, surpass
all other ethnic groups in meeting the standards, with Anglo students
also having a high percentage who meet or exceed state standards in
subjects like social studies, mathematics and science...
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Letter prompts look at water right 'betrayal'
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — An "open letter" to the Diné
people, critical of tribal non-Navajo lawyers for not pursuing Colorado
River water rights, will be the subject of two days of legislative
oversight hearings.
The letter is titled: "Lawyers, Water Rights, Betrayals and
the Fate of the Navajo Nation," and was written by tribal hydrologist
Jack Utter on behalf of the Diné Sovereignty Defense Association.
It appeared on a full page in the Sept. 28 Gallup Independent.
A handful of Navajo Nation officials has received subpoenas to appear
the mornings of Dec. 12-13 to determine, among other issues, whether
confidentiality provisions related to tribal litigation matters
and litigation strategy were followed by Utter and other tribal
employees. The basis for the inquiry involves the "open letter."
Utter has been subpoenad to appear in Navajo Nation Council Chambers
at 10 a.m. Dec. 12.
The hearings will be jointly conducted by the tribe's Government
Services Committee, chaired by Hogback Council Delegate Ervin Keeswood
Sr., and Resources Committee, chaired by Nenahnezad Council Delegate
George Arthur...
Deaths
Silveria Ann Olivar-Lara
PHOENIX — Services for Silveria (Sylvia) Olivar-Lara, 47, will
be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father
Jim Walker will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
Rosary will be recited at 7 tonight at Rollie Mortuary-Palm Chapel.
Olivar died Dec. 1 in Phoenix. She was born Dec. 2, 1952, in Gallup.
Olivar graduated from Gallup High School in 1970. She was employed
with U.S. West (Qwest).
Survivors include her husband, Albert Lara of Phoenix; son, Albert
Lara Jr. of Phoenix; daughters, Stephaine Pena and Michelle Lara,
both of Phoenix; father, Rutilio Olivar of Perti, Mo.; brothers, Richard
Olivar of Glendale, Ariz., Leonard Olivar and Joseph Olivar, both
of Gallup, Amado Olivar of Durango, Colo., David Olivar of Milan and
Jerry Olivar of Tuba City, Ariz.; sisters, Eleanor Unale and Frances
Suzuki, both of Flagstaff, Ariz., Erlinda Maldonado of Gallup, Rose
Marie Olivar of
Eureka, Calif., and Rosella Soinner of Pinetop, Ariz.; and two grandchildren.
Olivar was preceded in death by her mother, Lourdes Olivar, and sister,
Perfetita Olivar.
Pallbearers will be Albert Lara Jr., Amado Olivar, David Olivar, Jerry
Olivar, Joe Olivar, Leonard Olivar and Richard Olivar.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
David Elliott Capazoni
KLAGETOH, Ariz. — Services for David Elliott Capazoni, 68, will
be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Klagetoh Catholic Church.
Father Flann O'Neil will officiate. Burial will follow at the Klagetoh
Community Cemetery.
Capazoni died Dec. 1 in Albuquerque. He was born May, 22, 1932, in
Klagetoh into the Cliff Dwellers People Clan for the Bitter Water
People Clan.
Capazoni was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Korea.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Lee-Capazoni of Klagetoh; sons,
Anderson Begay of Albuquerque, and Elson Begay and Harrison Begay,
both of Klagetoh; daughters, Katherine Begay and Stella Begay, both
of Klagetoh, Perry Gail of Deer Springs, Ariz., and Betty Lee of Navajo,
N.M.; 21 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Capazoni was preceded in death by parents, Gapazon and Irene Capazoni;
brother, Wilbert Capazoni ; and daughter, Patty Shorty.
Pallbearers will be Cliford Banward, Elson Begay, Nelson Begay, Nathan
Nez, Melvin Tapaha and Herman Tom.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
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