ALBUQUERQUE — Swinging a metal bar over and over in an attack on two people resulted in a three-year-10-month prison sentence for a Navajo man.

Matthew Ramone, 32, of Thoreau pleaded guilty Jan. 21, 2020 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury to John Doe and Jane Doe and was sentenced June 14.

The assaults occurred outside John Doe’s residence on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County. According to the plea agreement and other court records, Ramone, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, struck John Doe in the head with a three-foot metal bar on Oct. 16, 2019, causing him to fall to the ground. Ramone continued hitting the victim while he was on the ground. Ramone’s attack...

Staff Reports

CIBOLA COUNTY — New Mexico State Police are investigating a rollover crash on N.M. State Road 605 in Cibola County that killed one person and injured another near Mile Marker 4, north of Milan.

The initial investigation which took place around 7:37 am June 22, indicated a 2019 Mack CMV, driven by 26-year-old Garrett T. Buckner of Chanute, Kans., was headed south when it left the roadway and rolled.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by the office of the Medical Investigator.

A 45-year-old male passenger was transported to a hospital in Grants for unknown injuries.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash. The driver had his seatbelt...

GALLUP — The Gallup Police Department is searching for a young woman from Window Rock, Ariz.

Danica Kara Benally, 21 was last seen around 5 pm June 30, near the Heritage Plaza on the north side of Gallup.

She is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighing 157 pounds with brown eyes and waist- length brown hair tied with a light blue scrunchy.

She was last seen wearing denim pants, a yellow shirt, a black Adidas jacket with white stripes on the sleeves and black and white Vans brand shoes.

She is believed to be on foot and in Gallup.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Danica Kara Benally is asked to contact the Gallup Police Department at (505) 722-2231, or dial 911.

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Missing teenager Roberta Ann Watchman was found safe in Wheatfields, Ariz. around 1:55 pm June 30.

The Navajo Police Department which had been searching for the teen since she was reported missing by her grandmother 12 days before, also arrested  the girl's father, Ozzy Watchman without incident.

The teen was last seen leaving her grandmother's residence with her father who is a registered sex offender from Sawmill, Ariz.

Around 12:32 pm on June 3,0 a maintenance worker called Navajo Police to say he had seen Watchman and his daughter at Wheatfields Lake in Wheatfields, Ariz.

The senior Watchman had reportedly approached the worker to ask if he and his...