The daughter of Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye is now facing DWI charges after getting into a crash with a semi-truck late April 29.

V TV, out of Camp Verde, Ariz., reported May 2 that Karis Begaye, 41, who is a special assistant in the president’s office, was charged with extreme DWI, endangerment, and criminal damage after colliding with the tractor-trailer near Kachina Village around 9 pm.

Officials for the Arizona Department of Public Safety reported, according to the news channel, that Begaye’s vehicle was disabled and she received minor injuries. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured in the accident.

An investigation at the scene revealed that Karis Begaye was...

Getting high in Colorado

4/22, Gallup

In what may be one of the few cases so far of a New Mexico resident being arrested for bringing into McKinley County marijuana he purchased legally in Colorado, a Ramah man is now facing drug charges in state court.

McKinley County Sheriff’s Dep. Brandon Salazar said he was driving south on U. S. 491 near the four-mile marker when he noticed the car in front of him cross the fog line twice.

He did a traffic stop and talked to the driver, identified as Richard Martin, 64. As he was explaining to Martin why he was being stopped, Salazar said he could smell what seemed to be marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.

He asked Martin where he...

McKinley County Sheriff’s Dep. Johnson Lee was traveling west on Highway 66 just before 1 am April 19 when he saw a speeding car and made what he thought would be a routine traffic stop.

Lee walked over and saw two men in the car. One of the two was shaking and appeared to be nervous, according to Lee’s report. As he came closer, the officer spotted a box of ammunition in the driver-side door.

Lee had the driver, Franklin Warren, 43, of Gamerco, step outside of the car while he issued a citation. Warren told Lee his license was suspended, and when the officer asked where the two men were headed, Warren said the Redwood Lodge, a nearby motel.

Warren continued to seem “very...

SANTA FE — A New Mexico State Police officer in Santa Fe was almost struck by a wrong-way driver on Cerrillos Road around 10:30 pm April 22. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver fled from the officer and a pursuit began.

As the pursuit approached the intersection of Cerrillos and Jaguar Roads, the officer was able to successfully perform a PIT maneuver and safely stop the vehicle.  The State Police officer suspected the driver was intoxicated and completed a DWI investigation. The driver, Santiago Garcia, 53, of Santa Fe, showed signs he was unable to safely operate a vehicle and was impaired.

Garcia was arrested for his 11th DWI.

Neither the officer nor the...