One person died in a head-on collision that occurred north of Gallup on U.S. Highway 491 on May 20.

A Shiprock man, Jamison Woods, 45, is now facing federal involuntary manslaughter charges because of that accident which authorities said may have been an attempt to commit suicide.

Navajo police were dispatched to the 18-mile marker on U.S. Highway 491 about 1:45 pm after receiving several phone calls from passing motorists about a two-vehicle accident that occurred on the four-lane highway.

When police arrived, they found Woods in the driver’s seat of a 2017 GMC Sierra truck parked on the shoulder of the southbound lane. Another vehicle was parked nearby along the fence next to the...

ARMED DRINKER

Gallup, May 18

Paul Jude Herrera, 51, of Gallup, was placed under arrest on May 18 for possession of a firearm by a felon after the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a possible drunk driver.

Sgt. Tammy Houghtaling responded to the call about a man seen drinking at Walmart. Herrera had already left the area, but was followed by the person who called in the complaint, so Houghtaling was able to find and stop him.

Herrera denied he had been drinking although Houghtaling said she could smell liquor on his breath. Herrera continued to argue that he had been sober for 12 years and that the odor was coming from his vehicle.

Houghtaling said she looked in the car and...

ALBUQUERQUE — Duane A. Day, 30, of New Laguna, N.M., appeared in federal court in Albuquerque on May 20 for arraignment on an indictment charging him with assault with intent to commit murder and kidnapping in Indian Country.

A grand jury indicted Day for the offenses on May 12. According to the indictment, Day committed the crimes on March 24 at a residence in New Laguna, which is in Cibola County.

Day allegedly strangled the victim twice, causing her to lose consciousness the second time. Day allegedly threatened the victim’s life during the assault. When the victim attempted to flee and screamed for help, Day threatened her with a metal garden hoe, directing her to move around as...

Shane Jay Chon

Feb. 20, 1:49 am

DWI

Gallup Police Officer Jared Albert said he was dispatched to Allsup’s West in connection with a complaint from a caller that he was almost struck by a white car that later pulled into the store’s parking lot.

Albert said he found the vehicle next to a pump. It contained two individuals. Jared said when he talked to the driver, Shane Jay Chon, 20, of Mentmore,  he noticed several signs the driver was intoxicated.

Chon admitted to having had two beers a couple of hours before driving and agreed to take the standard field sobriety tests. Albert said Chon had a hard time following instructions and failed the tests, resulting in his arrest for...