Domestic violence on the increase
GPD averages 23 calls per day in 2008

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Domestic violence calls for 2008 rose to 7,781 — or more than 23 per day — on Dec. 1, and two more offenders were arrested last weekend.

Stanley Redday Jr., 38, of Gamerco, was intoxicated and in violation of a protection order when McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Owen Peña arrested him Dec. 22.

According to Peña’s report, which reflects interviews with the victims, Redday had verbally assaulted his wife in front of their Gamerco home for about an hour before the deputy arrived. Redday then allegedly trapped his wife in a back bedroom, where he continued to verbally abuse and persistently shove her.

“Mrs. Redday relayed she was fearful of Mr. Redday and thought he was going to physically abuse her as he has done in the past,” Peña’s report reads.

A look at Stanley Redday’s court records reveals six prior charges for either assault, battery or aggravated battery against a household member, three charges of child abuse, two charges of driving while intoxicated and two charges of assault upon a peace officer. The charges span Gallup, Farmington and Aztec courts.

Redday’s 15-year-old stepdaughter pulled him away from the bedroom door to allow her mother to leave the room.

After the girl called police, Redday left the residence and hid in the crawl space beneath it, where Peña later found him.

Redday was booked at Gallup McKinley Adult Detention Center for battery on a household member, false imprisonment, order of protection violation and child abuse.

Jason Yazzie, 40, was arrested by Gallup Police Officer Bernadette Halona Dec. 19.

According to Halona’s report, a fight erupted between Yazzie and his wife when she came home from work.

“She said she got mad at him and they began to argue due to Mr. Yazzie not having a job and just laying around the house and not helping her,” the report reads.

Yazzie told police his wife had slapped him and he didn’t react the first time. After she continued to yell at him, he hit her. His wife said he punched her in the right cheek with a closed fist. Yazzie’s 17-year-old stepson then attempted to stop the fight, at which point the boy said Yazzie punched him in the nose.

Halona reports finding two red marks on the stepson’s face and two swollen bumps on his head.

Soon afterward, Yazzie voluntarily left the residence.
“He told both of them since they did not want him there he was going to leave, and to tell police that he was leaving and they could find him walking down the street because he wasn’t going to run,” the report reads.

Halona found him walking down the street and arrested him on one count of child abuse and one count of battery against a household member. Yazzie was booked at Gallup McKinley Adult Detention Center.