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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A mining company is considering digging for copper on grazing land near the chapter house of the Coppermine community on the western Navajo Nation. -
The accident occurred about a half mile east of Highway 160 and state Route 98 near Shonto in Navajo County. This is the first reported incident since hauling along the 300-mile interstate route began nearly two years ago. -
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the approximately 1,000-year-old geoglyph in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge was disturbed by border wall contractors nearly two weeks ago. -
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will face off against a slew of candidates in the race for the tribe’s presidency in November — 15 challengers to be exact. Nygren took the tribe by storm when he beat out incumbent Jonathan Nez four years ago. But since, he has faced mounting scrutiny over allegations of ethics violations and misuse of public funds. -
A couple hundred ballots were cast by locals to decide a fitting moniker through a recent online vote. Al Ha’icu Ga:gdam — meaning Little Seeker — and Little Dot, or Al Doṣ, were among their choices.
