Suspect Charged in Abduction, Killing of Ashlynn Mike

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 12:00 AM

The criminal complaint alleges that on the evening of May 2, 2016, Tom Begaye, Jr. picked up the victim and a boy (witness) at a location near Shiprock, N.M., and drove them in his vehicle towards the Shiprock Pinnacle. It further alleges that the witness observed Begaye, who was carrying a piece of metal, take the victim out of his vehicle and walk towards a hill leaving the witness alone in the vehicle. Begaye allegedly returned about an hour later, still carrying the piece of metal but without the victim. Upon his return to the vehicle, Begaye allegedly told the witness to get out of the

From the FBI:

Tom Begaye, Jr., 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Waterflow, N.M., made his initial appearance this morning in federal court in Farmington, N.M., on a criminal complaint charging him with kidnapping and murdering an 11-year-old Navajo child. Begaye remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing both of which are scheduled for May 6, 2016, at the federal courthouse in Albuquerque, N.M.

The criminal complaint alleges that on the evening of May 2, 2016, Begaye picked up the victim and a boy (witness) at a location near Shiprock, N.M., and drove them in his vehicle towards the Shiprock Pinnacle. It further alleges that the witness observed Begaye, who was carrying a piece of metal, take the victim out of his vehicle and walk towards a hill leaving the witness alone in the vehicle. Begaye allegedly returned about an hour later, still carrying the piece of metal but without the victim. Upon his return to the vehicle, Begaye allegedly told the witness to get out of the vehicle. Thereafter, the witness provided a description of Begaye and his vehicle to the police, and a second witness corroborated the descriptions.

According to the criminal complaint, on May 3, 2016, investigators located and arrested Begaye at a sweat lodge outside of Shiprock based on the descriptions provided by the two witnesses. Investigators located the victim’s body near Navajo Route 13, which is located within the Navajo Indian Reservation, and observed that the victim’s head was bloody and appeared to have sustained blunt force trauma.

If convicted on the kidnapping of a minor charge, Begaye faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. If convicted on the murder charge, Begaye faces a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, New Mexico State Police, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Tapia-Brito and David Adams are prosecuting the case.

More from Local News

Lauren Laws Named Interim Superintendent for Aztec Schools

For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.
Durango Picks Brice Current to be New Police Chief

Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.
Waterflow Fire Kills 1

Crews arrived to find a camp trailer on fire and one occupant still inside. Another occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Despite a quick response from fire crews, one occupant was found dead in the trailer after the fire was extinguished. The name of the deceased is not yet released.
Farmington Schools Hires first Armed Campus Safety Monitor

The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.
City Breaks Ground on Pinon Hills Extension

Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.
Back to Bloomfield: Summers Selected as New Superintendent

Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.