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Court date set for accused EconoLodge rapist

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Major Singh to appear in court May 9

A local man with roots in India remains incarcerated at the McKinley-County Adult Detention Center on a $10,000 cash surety bond with a court date set for May 9, according to district court papers. The court date was set at a Jan. 20 arraignment.

Major Singh, 47, was initially arrested Nov. 20 after a report of a rape at the EconoLodge at 3101 W. Historic Highway 66. Singh’s bond at the time of the arrest was $100,000. Singh works as a cook at the Bombay Restaurant and Buffet, 3404 W. Historic Highway 66.

According to jail records, Singh is charged with criminal sexual penetration in the second degree (force or coercion, personal injury, harm or great mental anguish). At the time of arrest, Gallup police officer Justin Bennally arrived at the scene to find a female victim mentally distraught, according to the police report on the matter. The incident happened in Room 112 of the hotel, the police report states.

Singh possesses a prior police record from the state of Texas, but it isn’t clear as to what that record entails. Regarding the current case, prior to going to the hotel from the restaurant, Sing and a co-worker by the name of “Anoch” asked the female if she wanted to go somewhere and have drinks. Anoch, nicknamed “Nick” is listed in police documents as the manager at Bombay restaurant. There were three females in the initial party that went to the hotel, according to police papers.

An acquaintance of Singh who was present at the hotel told police that three women initially were at the restaurant which is where the idea to go the room surfaced. Things apparently took off from there.

WEST SIDE CRIME

Gallup’s west side businesses aren’t without their share of crime. The Conoco gas station and convenience store at 3302 W. Historic Highway 66 was robbed six times in 2016. In one of the gas station robberies, cash was dropped outside of the station in the robber’s haste to get away. And at least three other west side hotels and motels have been victimized by robbers.

“I go to that restaurant a lot and I would never have expected for anybody working there to do something like that,” Michelle Garvey, 28, who lives and works on the west side, said. “Most of the people that go to that restaurant are truckers and people passing through town. I hope they get to the bottom of the whole thing.”

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent