Police find motel room littered with diapers, alcohol bottles
A Gallup couple is facing child abuse charges after officers found them in a motel room with marijuana and a baby.
On May 8, around 8:45 pm, Gallup Police Officer Charlie Watkins was dispatched to the Motel 6 at 3306 W. Hwy. 66 after someone reported they could hear a child crying and two people arguing in one of the motel rooms.
Watkins reportedly found the door cracked open when he arrived at the scene. When he walked into the room he was instantly hit with the smell of alcohol. He also noticed three people in the room, two adults and a child. The adults were later identified as Austin Gregg and Sophina Yazzie.
According to Watkins’s report, the room was in extreme disarray; diapers and open and empty alcoholic beverages littered the entirety. The officer asked Gregg, 38, and Yazzie, 39, what had happened. Gregg responded by saying nothing had happened.
While Gregg was talking to Watkins he reportedly turned to Yazzie and said, “Babe, you better do something before I knock this guy out.”
Watkins noted that Gregg had bloodshot, watery eyes. He was also allegedly slurring his speech and had a strong odor of alcohol coming off him.
When Yazzie spoke to Watkins alone, she told the same story, saying nothing had happened. Watkins noticed that the child’s clothes were reportedly wrapped around her neck and her diaper was falling off.
Officers asked Yazzie if there was anyone who could come pick up the child. When she was asked this Yazzie frantically grabbed her phone and tried to call multiple people. While doing so, she almost dropped her child multiple times. Eventually, Watkins took the child from Yazzie and fixed her diaper himself.
Officer Gilbert Gonzales tried asking Yazzie if someone could pick up the child, and she began to yell at her phone. According to Watkins’s report, Yazzie also had bloodshot, watery eyes, and she was slurring her speech. A strong odor of alcohol was also coming off her.
Watkins asked Yazzie when the child last ate, and she told him “six months.” While officers looked for a bottle to feed the child a marijuana dispensary container was found in a diaper bag. It still had marijuana inside it.
Officer Iris Pinero arrived on scene to help with the child. She changed the child’s diaper, and told Watkins it had been full. She also got the child dressed.
An uncle was eventually contacted, and he was able to pick up the child.
Gregg and Yazzie were both arrested for child abuse, and Gregg is facing an additional charge of assault upon a peace officer. Both of their preliminary examinations are scheduled for May 29.
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