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WEEKLY DWI REPORT

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Jodelle Bitloy

June 16, 12:06 am

Aggravated DWI

Gallup Police Lt. Francie Martinez was on regular patrol when he observed a vehicle without its headlights on at night.

Martinez began following the vehicle and observed it running through two red lights and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was identified through an Arizona ID card as Jodelle Bitloy, 32, of Window Rock, Ariz.

Martinez observed signs that Bitloy was intoxicated, including slurred speech and staggering when she tried to walk. When asked to perform field sobriety tests, she said she didn’t think she would be able to do so, but agreed to try.

However, halfway through the tests and already having problems, she stopped the tests and was arrested for DWI and was transported to the police station where she agreed to take breath alcohol tests. She provided two samples of .21 and .20.

Wilbur J. Johnson

June 10, 3:29 pm

4th DWI

Gallup Patrolman Luke Martin was on regular patrol at the intersections of Will Street and U.S. Highway 66 when he observed a vehicle turn west on Highway 66 failing to yield to incoming traffic.

Martin said he had to come to a complete stop to avoid a collision. He then turned around and made a traffic stop. As the driver pulled into a parking lot of a nearby business, Martin said he observed one of the occupants throw a beer can out the window.

The driver, identified as Wilbur Johnson, 61, of Crownpoint was not able to show him a driver’s license or current insurance card. Martin also said he observed signs that Johnson was intoxicated.

Johnson said that while he had difficulty hearing, he would do the standardized field sobriety tests, which he performed poorly on. He then agreed to take a portable breath test which gave him a level of .14.

When Martin checked with Metro Dispatch, he learned that Johnson had three prior DWIs and was on the felony DWI list.

He was then arrested, and as he was being placed in the police unit, Martin discovered he had an open bottle of Yukon Jack whiskey that was three-fourths full. He was then taken to a local hospital for a DWI blood draw and then transported to the county jail.

Calvin Begay

June 9, 9:03 pm

Aggravated DWI

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Josie Bowman said she was on DWI saturation patrol about 9 pm when she saw a vehicle going northbound on U.S. Highway 491 with no headlights on.

Bowman said she turned her unit around and got behind the vehicle to make a traffic stop, but when she turned on the siren, the driver at first ignored it and kept driving. The driver kept going for about a mile then finally stopped.

Bowman said when she first approached the driver, identified as Calvin Begay, 52, of Fort Defiance, he was asked to turn on his headlights. Instead, he turned on his windshield wipers several times. He was not able to turn on his headlights.

He said he was coming from the Fire Rock Navajo Casino and Bowman said she could smell the odor of intoxicating liquor coming from inside the vehicle. Begay admitted that he had a couple of beers while at Sky City watching the races earlier in the day.

When asked if he could take a field sobriety test, he said he had a bad ankle so Bowman did the tests which did not require walking.

One of the tests was to count backwards from 67 to 47, but he continued counting to 42 and was arrested for DWI. He then refused to take a breath test.

Raynold Begay

June 7, 12:33 am

2nd DWI

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Clayton Etsitty said he was on routine patrol on New Mexico Highway 602 when he noticed a car approaching him speeding. He clocked him going 73 miles per hour.

Etsitty said he turned around and did a traffic stop. When the vehicle stopped, the driver, identified as Raynold Begay, 31, of Pine Hill got out of the car. He was told to get back in.

He approached the driver from the passenger side and told him to roll down the window. When it was rolled down, Etsitty said he could smell the odor of intoxicating liquor coming from inside.

Etsitty then asked Begay to get out of his vehicle and walk over to his unit. As he did, Etsitty said he observed Begay swaying. He asked if he had anything to drink that day and Begay admitted that he had been drinking earlier in the day.

When asked if he would do a field sobriety test, Begay said he had sprained his left ankle, so alternative tests were given which he failed. He was then placed under arrest for DWI.

Later he was give breath alcohol tests during which he posted two samples of .09.

Wendy Talley

June 7, 6:01 pm

Aggravated DWI

McKinley County Sheriff Chief Investigator Merle Bates said he was driving on Philipin Avenue when he noticed the vehicle in front of him abruptly go into the opposite lane of traffic. He conducted a traffic stop.

He went up to the driver’s side window and talked to Talley, 21, of Twin Lakes, who said she was in the process of learning how to drive. Bates said he wasn’t satisfied with her answer and asked her to get out of the vehicle.

When asked if she had anything to drink that day, she admitted drinking earlier in the day. She agreed to take field sobriety tests, which she failed and was arrested for DWI. Later, she agreed to take a breath alcohol test and posted two samples of .18.