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Weekly Crime Blotter

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North Side

Elmer Tsosie, 38, of Pinon, Ariz. was arrested July 29 after he allegedly assaulted the manager of Cracker Barrel with a pocket knife. According to the police report, filed by Gallup Police Department Officer Andrea Tsosie, the manager saw Elmer panhandling for food and told him to leave the area. He started to leave the area and then turned around and swung his knife at the manager. He was later found by Sgt. Francie Martinez, was positively identified by the manager, taken to jail and charged with aggravated assault.

 

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Navajo Estates, which was burglarized. Although there were no apparent signs of forced entry, homeowners told Deputy Ben Benally that they were missing several items, including a concho belt, football equipment, a saddle and a hunting knife, altogether valued at around $600. Anyone with information on the burglary that occurred on or about Aug. 16 should contact MCSO Investigators at (505) 863-1410.

 

MCSO are on the lookout for Joseph Gonzales, 30, of Gallup who is known to be driving on a suspended license. Gonzales was seen by Deputy Johnson Lee Aug. 15 driving in the Gallup area. According to the police report, when Lee attempted to pull Gonzales over, he began increasing his speed and not stopping at stop signs through the north side neighborhood.

“Speeds reached up to 70 mph on Maloney and we turned north onto state road 608 (Ninth Street),” Lee said in his report. “Vehicle still failing to stop and reaching speeds up to 105 mph.”

Gonzales fled into the Gamerco area where he was able to lose Lee within the dust and gravel. According to the New Mexico Courts website, Gonzales was sentenced to 364 days of probation July 25, 2014 on similar charges of evading, resisting or obstructing a police officer and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a May 2013 arrest. He might be facing new charges of evading an officer and driving on a suspended/revoked license after this latest incident.

Thoreau, NM

MCSO Deputies assisted Crownpoint Navajo Police Department in taking three juveniles into custody in connection with a break in at Thoreau High School Aug 17. No names were released due to the age. No further information was available through MCSO.

 

The Badland Burgers portable trailer was burglarized the weekend of Aug. 14 while it remained on State Highway 371. A cash box with an undetermined amount of money was taken, and there was damage to a screen over a window that might have been used as an entry point. The owner also told MCSO Deputy Ivan Tsethlikai that the power had been tampered with and all of his food products had spoiled. Anyone with information on who committed this crime or others should contact MCSO Investigations at (505) 863-1410.

West Side

Daniel Graham, 31, PO Box Gallup

Graham was arrested Aug. 16 after he was found asleep inside a home that wasn’t his on Camino Del Sol. Homeowners called the police a little after 8 am when they got to the residence that they are attempting to sell and found the male in the house.

Graham said he got in through an open door. The homeowners assured GPD Officer Luke Martin that the house had been locked up and the doors were locked when they got to the house that morning. Martin located a light bulb, possibly taken out of the refrigerator, which had burn marks on it.

“It appeared that the light bulb was used as a smoking device to smoke [possibly] methamphetamine,” Martin said in his report.

Martin was later called back to the residence when the homeowners found what appeared to be narcotics in a plastic baggie. The baggie was placed into evidence to transfer to a lab in Santa Fe. Graham was charged with breaking and entering as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. More charges could be added based on the lab results from the alleged narcotics.