A man, whose name hasn’t been released pending notification of next of kin, died en route to a local hospital from severe burns.

Gallup Police Department officers arrived on scene around midnight after receiving a call about a tree possibly being on fire. But, when officers arrived, they found a man suffering from severe injuries and a can of accelerant, likely gas, in the area.

“… It’s pretty disturbing,” GPD Capt. Marinda Spencer said.

There doesn’t appear to be any foul play involved in the incident, based on a preliminary investigation of the scene.

 

A man found deceased in his truck at Allsup’s west by a store customer Aug. 30, has been identified as Michael James Yazzie, 73, of Sawmill, Ariz.

Gallup Police responded to the scene at about 7:05 pm. A store clerk said the victim had been parked outside of the store for at least a couple of hours before the curious customer intervened.

The witness told police that Yazzie had no pulse, and paramedics confirmed this when they arrived on scene. Foul play doesn’t appear to be a factor in this case, GPD Capt. Marinda Spencer said, and it appears Yazzie likely passed away from natural causes.

Lots of warrants, three criminal complaints, and a smattering of other items make up the police activity for the Gallup Police Department and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office this last week.

GPD Warrants

Marcelino M. Angeles (Magistrate Court), Chandler Chavez (Out of County), Alfrain Cross (Magistrate Court), James Deschine (Magistrate Court), Herman Jim (Out of County), Emanuel Lewis (Parole/Probation), Shawn A. Platero (Magistrate Court), Sharrie L. Ryan (Municipal Court), Christopher Sam (Parole/Probation), Ferlanda Smith (Parole/Probation), Serena Soce (Municipal and Magistrate Courts), Sharon Tolino (Municipal Court), Tyrell Wilson (Out of County), and Marvin Yazzie...

ALBUQUERQUE – Darold Ray ZunieFeathers, 21, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced Aug. 29 in federal court in Santa Fe, to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his involuntary manslaughter conviction.

ZunieFeathers was arrested in April 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, ZunieFeathers killed a Zuni Pueblo man by running over him with a vehicle on July 29, 2015, on the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. At the time ZunieFeathers ran over the victim, ZunieFeathers was driving under the influence of alcohol. ZunieFeathers was subsequently indicted on the...