Crouch Mesa Man Arrested in Death of Woman

Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 9:33 AM

On April 5 at 7:27pm, SJCSO deputies were dispatched to a residence on Road 390 in reference to a missing person. Family members of Denise Werito were concerned as she never arrived at work that day, her vehicle was not at her residence, and they had not heard from Denise. While meeting family at the victim’s residence, deputies had cause to force entry into the residence where they found the body of Ms. Werito. With signs of foul play, the scene was secured and detectives were called in.

From the San Juan County Sheriff's Office

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Mateo Yazzie in connection with the death of Denise Werito. Mateo Yazzie, age 23 is being charged with Murder in the 2^nd degree, a 2^nd degree felony.

Mateo Yazzie who lived at the victim’s residence was quickly identified as a possible suspect. An abandoned vehicle located in Farmington was linked to the victim. Yazzie was located at an apartment in Farmington and was detained for questioning. The investigation led Sheriff’s Office Detectives to secure an arrest warrant for Mateo Yazzie for the charge of 2^nd degree murder.

More from Local News

New Farmington Temple Prepares for Public Open House

The public is invited to tour the Farmington Temple from Thursday, July 17, through Saturday, August 2, 2025, excluding Sundays.
SJRMC & San Juan College agree to expand Nursing Program

Full-time nursing faculty members will receive a $10,000 annual stipend on top of their base salary to enhance the program’s capacity. In addition, students will have an opportunity to enter into an agreement with SJRMC to receive a substantial $4,800 living stipend per semester,
Downtown Farmington gets National Main Street Accreditation

Historic Downtown Farmington’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and New Mexico MainStreet, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
Man Arrested for Fruitland Murder

Following verbal arguments at the house of Adrian Begay (age 45), De Andre Julian (age 23) left with his girlfriend, Adrian Begay’s daughter, Adriana Begay (age 21) to a nearby residence. Adrian Begay followed them to the exterior of the residence when De Andre Julian produced a handgun and shot Adrian Begay multiple times in the chest at close range.
Arrest Made in Farmington Killing

After a lengthy investigation, Ms. Greenfield’s death was determined to be a homicide and detectives identified 27-year-old Serrono Rippingale as the suspect. On June 26th, 2025, an arrest warrant for Murder (2nd degree felony) and Tampering with Evidence (3rd degree felony) was obtained and served on Serrono Rippingale.
Farmington Hires New Museum Director

“Nathan’s expertise in the museum industry, combined with his global perspective and passion for community engagement, make him a tremendous asset to Farmington,” said Christa Chapman, Director of Cultural Affairs. “We’re excited to see how his leadership will shape the future of the Farmington Museum System.”