ALBUQUERQUE – A chilling tale of violence unfolded in federal court as Jonathan Abeita, 23, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo, pleaded guilty to a litany of assault charges including assaulting a federal officer. The Albuquerque resident’s actions on August 13, 2016, at Isleta Pueblo in Valencia County, N.M., have him facing serious time.
Abeita, who was arrested March 8, 2017, is set to serve 17 months behind bars followed by supervised release to be determined by the court. According to the charges, Abeita threatened and struck an Indian woman, causing her bottom teeth to become loose, and he then turned his aggression towards a tribal police officer responding to the scene.
The officer was commissioned as a Special Federal Officer by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), but his night ended with Abeita wielding a hatchet against him. As it stands, Abeita remains in custody awaiting sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This harrowing incident was not only investigated by the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department but also prosecuted under the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in New Mexico. This project, sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, aims to train tribal prosecutors in federal law and procedure to ensure every viable violent offense against Native American women is brought to justice.
The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project is a direct result of annual consultations on violence against women, reflecting the Department of Justice’s commitment to enhancing public safety in tribal communities. For Abeita, however, it’s too late for talk; his actions have him facing the consequences of his violent behavior.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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