Tonya Mae Dale, Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, New Mexico 2019

A Navajo woman has pleaded guilty to abandoning and abusing a child, resulting in death, in a harrowing incident that left one young child dead and another traumatized.

Tonya Mae Dale, 28, of the Navajo Nation, NM, pleaded guilty in federal court on March 24 to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country.

A grand jury previously returned an indictment against Dale on Sept. 25, 2019, for the offense committed in San Juan County on or about June 26, 2019.

According to court records, Dale committed the offense while driving while intoxicated with her children in the vehicle. Her intoxication contributed to her vehicle becoming stuck. The next day, Dale decided to leave her vehicle and began walking, leaving her children behind in the process.

When she returned with assistance to the location she had left her kids, only the baby was still there. The other child had wandered away and was found deceased the next day.

Dale is currently in custody pending sentencing and faces up to eight years in prison.

The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.

Dale’s plea deal marks a significant development in a case that has shocked the community and raised concerns about the safety of children on the Navajo Nation.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of drunk driving and the importance of prioritizing the safety and well-being of children.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Violent Crime

Jesus Manuel Ramirez, Hostage Taking, Texas 2016

Apr 12, 2017

Violent Crime

Alexander Finney, Federal Embezzlement, California 2022

Jul 1, 2019

Violent Crime

Keith Allen Leek, Firearms Offense, South Carolina 2022

Jan 15, 2022

Violent Crime

United States v. McMann, Financial Wrongdoing, Maryland 2024

Jul 1, 2020