The Gallup Police Department is requesting assistance from the public in solving the death of an as-of-yet unidentified person.

Investigations Captain Billy Padavich said Gallup officers were dispatched to Cedar Crest Apartments, 220 E. Nizhoni Blvd., about 8:48 pm on Aug. 22 in reference to a male who was lying in the southern portion of the parking lot of the complex and was not breathing.

“When GPD officers arrived, there were a couple bystanders performing CPR on this individual along with one officer,” he said.

Medical personnel arrived on scene shortly afterward and took the subject to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The male was described as a Native American in his late 50s or early 60s, about 5’9” and 160 pounds with gray hair.

Padavich said this incident is being treated as a suspicious death because of physical trauma found on the person’s body.

The victim had not been identified as of Aug. 24. There is also no concrete information on where the victim was from.

There are no suspects, and while a number of witnesses at the scene did give a statement, Padavich said the department is focused on seeking the public’s help at this time.

“We are asking if anyone has any information or they heard or saw anything in reference to this incident to come forward and contact Gallup police,” he said.

Padavich admits this type of death is not a common occurrence for Gallup police, but it has happened on occasion. In addition, the department is awaiting the results of the autopsy being performed in Albuquerque.

If you have any information regarding this incident, contact the Gallup Police Department Detective Division at (505)863-9365 or Metro Dispatch at (505)722-2002.

Late withdrawal creates chaos around District 1 Commission seat

Most of McKinley County’s June 7 elections have clear outcomes, but the District 1 County Commission seat is still undecided – at least temporarily – and two candidates are still standing in the Sheriff’s race.

The District 1 confusion arose because the winner, Ernest C. “Charles” Becenti III, withdrew from the race after the deadline for the county to submit ballot information to Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver’s office.

That meant his name was still on the primary ballot, and he won with 44%  of the vote (1,266). Young J. Tom trailed with 30% of the vote (877) and Vincent Muskett got 26% (765).

Becenti did not return phone calls by press time. The deadline for candidates to officially withdraw from the General Election is Aug. 30,  Oliver’s spokesman Alex Curtas said.

“Becenti will need to submit a timely withdrawal before the General. Because his primary withdrawal was not timely, he has not officially withdrawn,” Curtas said. “If he does so, the county central committee for the Democratic Party will nominate a replacement for the General ballot.”

A spokesman for the McKinley County Democratic Party didn’t respond to a request for information about the nomination process by press time.

Sheriff

James Maiorano III bested the other Democrat candidates for Sheriff with 36% among Democrats (2,198). Tallies for the other Democrat competitors were Francie L. Martinez, 28% (1,680); Matthew K. Hughbanks, 18% (1,113); and Paul R. Lucero, 18%(1,059).

In November, Maiorano will face off against the sole Republican in the race, Elreno C. Henio, who got 100 percent of the 1,071 Republican votes.

Maiorano, who is undersheriff at the department, said the core of his campaign will be to continue programs that have already begun – specifically internships, K-9 outreach, active shooter response training for schools, and a program that has jail trustees doing cleanups – to improve the quality of life for the community; then “educate the public” so voters can judge his performance.

“I’ll continue to educate folks to November, and they should be able to see that by example,” he said.

He also wants to increase the department’s presence at community meetings to get feedback, and do more to communicate how the department is responding.

“The feedback from the public is amazing. We see things from two different points of view,” he said, but, “if they don’t see change they will think it was a false promise or that nothing happens.”

Henio, a former Navajo Nation police officer, has worked his way up to patrol lieutenant since joining the Sheriff’s Department in 2004 and prides himself on being on the front lines in the community.

“That’s why nobody knows me. I’ve always been on the front lines,” he said. “That’s my platform. I’m trying to be a sheriff out on the streets. [...] You can look at statistics and graphs, but by the time you read those, it’s already changed.”

He puts a high premium on adaptability and on de-escalation skills, especiallly in a tense world.

“There’s a lot more violence in the world. Marijuana is legal now. Law enforcement has to be adaptive,” he said. “Experience trumps everything. [...] The whole department, from patrol all the way up to the top, should get to know the community. It’s not that hard from the inside. It looks hard from the outside.”

Two races, District 2 Commissioner and Assessor, were effectively decided on primary day, either because the candidate was unopposed or because all of the candidates for that seat were of the same party. The primary winners become the presumptive winners, but their names will still appear on the November ballot as unopposed candidates.

County Commissioner, District 2

Walt Eddy ran unopposed for the seat and won with 100 percent of the 1,130 votes cast in the race.

Eddy’s main concern is inadequate or deteriorating roads and bridges, he said. “Once I get into office and get to see the road department’s list of priorities, that would be a start. I’m not privy to that information right now.”

He plans to meet with all of the Navajo chapters within his district, as well as Zuni and Ramah, because “I need to make sure I have a good handle on what people in the community say they need fixed.”

He’s also concerned about the ongoing issues at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services. “Our hospital is very important to our community. [...] Just to live here we need the best medical care we can get,” he said, adding that he has firsthand experience. “I had a horse fall down and [I broke] every rib on my left side once.”

County Assessor

The Assessor oversees property in the county, including mapping, inventory and valuation for tax purposes.

Edward Becenti Jr. won the six-way race with 24% of the votes (1,501). Others in the race and their vote tallies were; Harriett K. Becenti (20%, 1,252); Danielle Notah (19%, 1,197); current District 2 Commissioner Genevieve Jackson (18%, 1,111); Paulinda L. Yazzie (12%, 759); and Anthony N. Begay (5%, 319). All contenders are Democrats.

Becenti, who is Chief Deputy County Clerk and has worked in that office for nearly 17 years, said he’d like to see more of the Assessor’s Office staff trained as property appraisers. He also wants to emphasize customer service to make it easier for citizens to find the information they need.

“[Staff] know what to look for and what person to talk to. They know where the information is when they talk to a customer,” he said. “I tell my staff, ‘Always picture yourself on the other side of the counter.’ Some people think they know what they want but they have to do more research.”

Winners who are county employees will have to resign from those positions when they take office, County Attorney Doug Decker said.

“Edward Becenti Jr., once taking office as Assessor, will have to resign the employment position with McKinley County,” he said. “The same is true for Deputy Sheriff Officers who get elected to a county office. The swearing in will take place just prior to Jan. 1, 2023, the official day of taking office, and the resignation(s) will have to occur by Dec. 31, 2022.”

By Holly J. Wagner
Sun Correspondent

Artist Ric Sarracino donates Fellin painting to Octavia Fellin Library

GALLUP – The vibrant colors and wispy brush strokes merge into a figure that many consider a Gallup treasure. The portrait shows a woman wearing a dress and elegantly coiffed and facing forward.

The blue and brown outlines of the face jump out. The pink and green colors of the torso bring to the surface an almost three-dimensional feel. The painting is one of two of Fellin to ever be donated to the library. Gallup artist Jackie Cattaneo donated an oversized painting of Fellin to the library more than a decade ago.

“(Octavia) is an icon of Gallup,” artist Ric Sarracino said of the work. “She was a wealth of history and a mentor. She enriched my life in so many ways.”

Everything about Sarracino’s painting of the late city librarian Octavia Fellin fits. Sarracino donated the 18-by-24 inch painting of Fellin to the city’s sole library that also carries her namesake.

“I donated the painting because it was just sitting in my studio,” Sarracino explained. “… She was a wonderful person that many of us knew and respected.”

Sarracino said he donated the painting about three weeks ago. He said it was presented to Library Director Mary Ellen Pellington in a very “low-key” fashion. The painting, which Sarracino said took him about an hour to complete, hangs in Pellington’s office on West Hill Avenue.

“But I think we’ll put it in the front area and near the lobby,” Pellington said.

Sarracino said the Fellin painting was part of a 25-piece series that he did in 2009 on famous people from Gallup. A versatile artist, the Los Angeles native painted the signage that adorns the front wall of The Gallup Coffee Company along Coal Avenue in downtown. Art has been a driving force in the life of Sarracino for a long time.

“I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember,” Sarracino said. “I’m self-educated and self-taught.”

A native of Santa Monica, Calif., Octavia Fellin was Library Director from 1947 to 1990. Upon her retirement, the library was named in her honor.

“She was a wonderful person that everyone respected,” Pellington said. “She knew just about everyone who frequented the library.”

Pellington said that Fellin came to work at the library after she was offered a similar position with the city of San Francisco Library. “She stopped In Gallup to visit family, volunteered at the library and never left,” Pellington said. Pellington continued, “She (Fellin) touched the lives of three generations and knew everyone by name.”

Pellington noted that Fellin established the library’s Southwest collection, which is considered one of the best in the Southwest. “She was also instrumental in establishing the library’s (Works Progress Administration art),” Pellington said. Fellin died in Gallup at the age of 93 in January of 2013.

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent

Gallup Police Department requests the public’s help in locating Juan Angel.

Angel, 16, was reported missing on Aug. 3 by his mother. He is estimated to be about 5’6” tall and weigh 130 pounds. There was no information on what he was last seen wearing.

His previous whereabouts and potential destination are unknown.

If you have any information about this case, contact Gallup Police at (505)863-9365. Ask for Detective Tasheena Wilson.