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WEEKLY DWI REPORT

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Lyle Alexius, 27, Gallup, N.M.

Alexius was charged with his second DWI on May 22 after being called in as a reckless driver and then being struck by a train at the County Road 1 crossing. Even after being hit by a train, Alexius remained in the driver’s seat “trying to mess with the keys while [they were] in the ignition.”

Neither Alexius or his passenger sustained any serious injuries. His passenger, 22 year old Jordan Etsitty, was taken to Gallup Detox. Alexius was transported to the hospital for a blood draw and taken to jail. He was also charged with open container and driver’s license required.

Timothy Begay, Jr., 27, Gallup, N.M.

MCSO Deputies were flagged down on Kevin Drive, Red Hills area, on May 31. While deputies were attempting to sort out a fight, domestic dispute situation, one male fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputy Nocona Clark spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. The driver did not yield to law enforcement until he reached Hacienda Motel, on East 66. Timothy Begay was taken to the jail and charged with DWI after blowing at the legal limit of .08. Begay will also be answering to resisting, evading an officer and driver to be licensed. All of the people involved in the fight were checked out for their injuries and did appear to be intoxicated.

Valeda A. Chapito, 33, Zuni, N.M.

Chapito was arrested May 29 by MCSO Deputy Nocona Clark after she was was found passed out inside of her vehicle in the parking lot of Mustang in Vanderwagon with a small child in the vehicle. Clark was waved down by employees of the gas station and found Chapito asleep and hard to wake up in the front seat, a sleeping child in the back seat and open containers of alcohol in the vehicle. The child turned out to be her 4 year old niece and was picked up by the child’s grandmother. Chapito was charged with Aggravated DWI for refusing to give a breath sample, child abuse, two charges of open container and parking in handicapped parking.

Jennifer Martinez, 41, of Gallup, N.M.

Martinez probably thought she was being smart when she was called in as a possible intoxicated driver on May 25, but witnesses outsmarted her. A good Samaritan  called Martinez’s driving into Metro Dispatch after it almost collided with his vehicle and was swerving in the lane of traffic on Maloney.

According to the police report, filed by GPD Officer Luke Martin, the witness told police that on approach of Third Street Tavern, the female driver exited the vehicle and switched places with a male passenger. Martin found the vehicle parked at Third Street Tavern and the male driver told police that Martinez had been driving and was “drunk.” Martinez refused to perform any testing and got belligerent with Martin at the scene.

With the witness agreeing to testify in court, Martinez was arrested for her third DWI, this one aggravated due to the refusal. She was also charged with unlawful use of a license, her’s being suspended/revoked, and open container in a motor vehicle.

Sharon Mae Bahe, 32, Chinle, Ariz.

In another case of good citizens, three females driving on Interstate 40, from out of town, noticed a vehicle driving recklessly, the van stopped and the witnesses were able to get the keys away from the driver, as well as get her and her vehicle off to the shoulder of the busy Interstate. Bahe was uncooperative and emotional with GPD Officer Cindy Romancito. She was eventually booked into the jail for her first DWI, aggravated for refusal, open container in a motor vehicle, driving on streets laned for traffic, resisting evading or obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct.

Jeremy Yazzie, 34, Gallup, N.M.

Yazzie was arrested May 24 after he allegedly drove his truck into his neighbors house on South Strong. He left the vehicle blocking his neighbors driveway. Yazzie was found at his home and taken to the jail. Officers did find physical marks that suggested that the truck did hit the house. Yazzie’s breath results were .23, .24, three times the legal limit. He was charged with his first offense of DWI, aggravated.