Harold Anthony Nez, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, New Mexico 2014

Assault Charges Bring Justice to Native American Community

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - Harold Anthony Nez, a 36-year-old enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to a federal assault charge. The Navajo man will serve 15 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

The assault occurred on January 16, 2014, when Nez drove into his intimate partner, a Navajo woman, with a vehicle, pinning her left leg against a fence. The incident took place in Navajo, New Mexico, in McKinley County.

Nez was arrested on February 20, 2014, and subsequently indicted on charges of assault with a dangerous vehicle and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He pleaded guilty to the assault resulting in serious bodily injury charge, admitting that he hit his intimate partner with a vehicle.

The victim suffered extreme physical pain and severe bruising to the leg, requiring medical attention. Nez has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled.

The case was investigated by the Window Rock, Arizona office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams.

The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna.

The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project aims to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure, and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/navajo-nm-man-pleads-guilty-assaulting-intimate-partner