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Weekly Police Activity Report

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STOLEN IDENTITY
Ramah, Aug. 30

A woman who was missing her weekly unemployment benefits from her state issued card, received a text message on Aug. 24 suggesting she log in to a website to verify her identity.

She followed the instructions and said the site she reached looked like the New Mexico Work Force Solutions page.

But when she got there the page froze.

She called N.M. Work Force Solutions Aug. 30 and learned there had been cases of fraud.

The text message came from (936) 514-8952.

The bank for the fraudulent checking account was confirmed to be Wells Fargo BK NA Iowa.

The woman was asked to sign a fraud affidavit and file a report, which she did, for McKinley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathan Todachine.

 

REFUSING TO LEAVE
Gallup, July 23

When an intoxicated male was told to leave the Burger King at 801 N. U.S. Hwy. 491, he just stood there.

Gallup Police Officer Julio Yazzie was called to the scene and spoke with the manager, who continued to tell the man, identified as Preston Lynch, 30, of Chinle, to leave.

Lynch expressed racist aggression toward Yazzie, who was able to detain him before he got more upset. Yazzie placed Lynch inside his unit and asked the employees what had happened.

They explained that Lynch was told to leave but did not. An employee said Lynch got in the manager’s face, before he pushed him away. Then Lynch punched him, the employee, in the jaw.

Yazzie transported Lynch to Gallup Detox and was accepted. Lynch was also issued a non-traffic citation for battery.

Lynch was released on his own recognizance.

 

REPORTED BY HER SISTER
Gallup, July 23

Metro Dispatch fielded a number of calls about the same driver on July 23. One of those was the sister of the driver. People said a suspected drunk driver was behind the wheel of a gray Honda with heavy front-end damage traveling west on Hasler Valley Road.

Early in the report, the suspected driver was believed to be Delcita Delgarito, 33, of Gallup, who was being followed by her sister.

Gallup Officers were advised the vehicle was seen turning into Black Diamond Trailer Park.

Dispatch checked the name given for the driver and the address at 327 Black Diamond Canyon.

Sergeant Matthew Graham recognized the vehicle at that address and approached a female on the porch there. The woman was identified as Delcita Yazzie.

Family members said they followed her into Gallup and that she got into an accident in the Iyanbito area which caused the front-end damage to the car.

Graham was also notified that the woman was in a pursuit with the Navajo Nation Police Department, which attempted to stop her when she was coming from Burnt Corn Road. But she did not stop.

When Officer Aaron Marquez arrived at the scene to speak with her, he described her as  disorderly. He said she appeared intoxicated, having bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Yazzie had difficulty keeping her balance and then tried to get into her vehicle, where the officers began to place her under arrest. She yelled at them to get off of her while she began kicking them in the legs and eventually spat on an officer.

After placing her in his unit, Marquez transported Yazzie to Gallup Indian Medical Center for clearance, during which she continued to be belligerent toward the officers. Yazzie eventually received medical clearance and was transported to McKinley County Adult Detention Center and booked for seven counts of battery on an officer, DWI, no license, and having an open container. Marquez noted in the police report that this was not Yazzie’s first arrest for DWI.

Yazzie was released on her own recognizance.

KNOCKED OUT
Gallup, July 19

A security guard at the Pep Boys in Gallup was punched after he tried to stop a man from stealing shirts from the business.

On July 19, around 3:11 pm, Gallup Police Officer Victor Madrid was dispatched to the Pep Boys at 702 U.S. Hwy. 491 in Gallup because a fight had broken out. When he got to the scene, he noticed a man was sitting on the ground while another man was being held down. The men holding the other man down said he had hit the security guard and knocked him out. The man sitting on the ground was later identified as the security guard.

When Madrid went to grab the suspect he noticed that the man, later identified as Elroy King Jr., 28, of Fort Defiance, Ariz. was already in handcuffs.

Madrid spoke to the witnesses who were still around. He spoke to one man who is a Pep Boys employee.

The employee stated that the security guard had confronted three men who were standing by the garage on the south side of the business. He explained that three men had discussed something just before King punched the guard, who passed out. He grabbed King after the punch was thrown.

Another witness, backed up the employee’s statement. He also added that King had tried to kick the security guard while he was being restrained.

According to the police report, King was issued a non-traffic citation for battery, which he signed. He was then released.