SHIPROCK, NM – A late-night break-in turned deadly in Shiprock, New Mexico, leaving one man dead and Armondo Paul, 25, facing federal murder charges. The incident, which unfolded in the early morning hours of Friday, June 27, 2025, has shaken the small community and prompted a swift response from both the Navajo Nation Police Department and the FBI.
According to court documents, officers responded to a stabbing at a Shiprock residence shortly after midnight. They arrived to find the victim already deceased, suffering from a fatal wound to the neck consistent with a bladed weapon. The investigation quickly zeroed in on Armondo Paul, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as the prime suspect.
The details are chilling. Authorities allege Paul intentionally cut the power to the home before forcibly entering the residence while armed with a knife. A young woman and her father emerged to investigate the power outage, only to be confronted by the armed intruder. A struggle ensued, and Paul allegedly stabbed the father in the neck, killing him. He then fled the scene, but was apprehended by authorities later that same day.
Armondo Paul is now charged with second-degree murder. He remains in federal custody, awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces a potentially life-altering sentence – up to life in prison. The case is being spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Nation Police Department, with support from the Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is handling the prosecution. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. Armondo Paul, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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- Navajo Man Struck Woman with Car in Brutal Shiprock Assault · New Mexico
- Shiprock Man Gets 37 Months for BIA Assault · New Mexico
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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