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Thursday, Mar 28th

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DWI suspect crashes into house, flees scene

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A Gallup man has been arrested after hitting and causing extensive damage to a house and then fleeing from the scene.

The driver, identified as Kintuck Howard, 31, is now facing charges dealing with destruction of private property and DWI.

Gallup Police Officer Domenic Molina said he was dispatched to the house on the 2700 block of Mazon Avenue on June 29 in connection with a car crashing into a house.

When he got there, he found a vehicle crashed into the west side of the building and had gone partially into the house. By the time he arrived, however, the driver was not there.

He met with the owner of the house, Damien Phillips, who said he was awoken by a loud bang about 2:44 am, and saw that the wall to his bedroom was caved in.

He said he went outside and saw the driver trying to back out so he pointed his gun at the man and told him not to go anywhere. He then went back inside the house to get clothes on, but when he went back outside the driver was running south, away from his house.

He gave police a description of the man. At the same time, Molina talked to a witness who said he saw the man fleeing and went in pursuit of him but lost him in the open field.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the driver lost control of his vehicle on the top of the hill, ran a curb and then struck the house.

Police were later directed to Howard’s residence by the tow truck driver who recognized the vehicle and knew the owner. Howard was charged with DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.