Defendant is one of 34 charged

ALBUQUERQUE – Robert Alan Rutledge, 34, of Alamogordo, pleaded guilty Sept. 6 in federal court in Las Cruces, to methamphetamine trafficking crime charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rutledge will be sentenced to 48 months in prison followed, by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Rutledge was one of 34 individuals charged in December 2015 with federal and tribal drug offenses as the result of an 18-month multi-agency investigation led by the DEA and BIA into methamphetamine trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Eighteen defendants, including five members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and 13 non-Natives...

A pedestrian trying to cross Interstate 40 near mile-marker 20 died Aug. 27 after he was hit by two tractor-trailers, officials said.

Capt. Marinda Spencer of the Gallup Police Department said Jeremiah Begay, 23, of Wide Ruins, Ariz., was hit at about 7:50 pm by a semi that failed to stop. He was then hit by another truck. The driver of the first semi did not stop, but the second driver stopped and exited his vehicle to see what was going on.

“The first semi-truck has not been located,” Spencer said. “There are indications that [Begay] was intoxicated.”

Westbound traffic along the interstate near exit 20 was diverted for a little more than two hours. Spencer said the victim...

A Navajo Nation Patrol Officer was killed Aug. 30 in a head-on collision that took place near Mile Post 15.5 on Navajo Route 64 between Chinle and Tsaile, Ariz.

The Navajo Nation Police Department has identified the patrol officer as Leander Frank.

According to Jesse Delmar, director of the Division of Public Safety, Frank had been dispatched to a call in the Tsaile area.

It was reported that Frank’s vehicle was approaching another vehicle. Both vehicles tried to avoid each other but collided head-on in the middle of the highway.

Frank was killed instantly. All passengers from the other vehicle survived the crash.

The accident is currently being investigated by the Arizona...

Suspect reportedly stabbed victim near Camille’s

One of McKinley County’s most wanted is now behind bars at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge, officials said.

Marinda Spencer, public information officer at the Gallup Police Department, said Darrell Desiderio, Sr., was taken into custody Aug. 5 after a brief chase downtown. According to the arrest warrant, Desiderio is being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

“We were able to apprehend [Mr. Desiderio],” Spencer said. “He put up a short chase, but he is now in jail.”

Desiderio, 39, was the prime suspect in a downtown stabbing that took place Aug. 18. The name of...