A Navajo man was facing the tribe’s criminal justice system after allegedly driving drunk and killing a 3-year-old boy at a Christmas light parade in Kayenta, but U.S. authorities are now stepping in to prosecute him through the District Court of Arizona.
Under Navajo law, Stanley Begay Jr., 67, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and could’ve faced up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. That was, until a grand jury in Arizona made an indictment earlier this month.
He was handed three counts — including second-degree murder — stemming from the death of 3-year-old Karson Apodaca. The two-page charging document accuses Begay of doing so “with malice afterthought.”
Begay, who was arrested by the Navajo Police Department last month and already being held inside the Kayenta District of the Navajo Department of Corrections, was taken into federal custody on Tuesday by FBI special agents based in Flagstaff.
The FBI Phoenix Field Office is seeking the public’s help in sharing photos and videos from that fatal incident to be used in the federal case against Begay, who has been assigned a Flagstaff attorney.
If convicted of second-degree murder, Begay could face up to a life sentence — while the pair of “assault resulting in serious bodily injury” charges would carry a maximum punishment of a decade in prison for each count.
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The Indian Health Service’s Tucson Area Office serves more than 28,000 tribal members from the Pascua Yaqui, Tohono O’odham Nation and other tribes. -
![Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren [left] Gov. Katie Hobbs and Hopi Chairman Lamar Keevama sign a memorandum of understanding for coal-impacted communities at the Desert Botanical Garden on Aug. 11, 2026.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ad88d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4158x2317+0+505/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa5%2F46%2F67ddb3664347bcd872157bbfffaf%2Fnavajo-hopi-az-agreement-cg-20260811.JPG)
The six-page MOU is being touted as a blueprint for cooperation between the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and the state of Arizona — all of which are “vulnerable to future coal mine and generating station closures.” -
Leadership clarified that non-members — including employees or residents, guests of tribal members, travelers on public roadways and vendors tied to the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise — may still travel freely “without any restrictions.” -
Since last year, the Trump administration has awarded billions of dollars in construction contracts for its so-called Smart Wall, and work has been ongoing for months in various parts of Arizona. -
![The Long family [clockwise from top left] Joni Lapahie, Dáilan Long, Jona Lapahie, Emma Long and Emery Long.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ac75967/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2246+0+389/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8c%2F3e%2Fcb7758794c59b588da1f9a3323b8%2Flong-family-household-burnham-nm-gp-202602.jpg)
Coal has long been the economic bedrock of the Navajo Nation, which owns deposits in Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico. Now, the tribe is asking the Trump administration to dramatically expand the life — and size — of an operational coal mine that could uproot the lives of some Navajo families. And their longtime homes — literally.
![Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren [left] Gov. Katie Hobbs and Hopi Chairman Lamar Keevama sign a memorandum of understanding for coal-impacted communities at the Desert Botanical Garden on Aug. 11, 2026.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bcf9baa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4158x2317+0+505/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa5%2F46%2F67ddb3664347bcd872157bbfffaf%2Fnavajo-hopi-az-agreement-cg-20260811.JPG)
![The Long family [clockwise from top left] Joni Lapahie, Dáilan Long, Jona Lapahie, Emma Long and Emery Long.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8f96e94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2246+0+389/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8c%2F3e%2Fcb7758794c59b588da1f9a3323b8%2Flong-family-household-burnham-nm-gp-202602.jpg)
