A San Juan County man has been sentenced to 35 months in prison for multiple violent assaults committed over several days, according to a November 5 report by Gephardt Daily.
Zane C. Yazzie, 33, of Aneth, Utah, pleaded guilty on July 9 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury while within Indian Country, assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while within Indian Country, and assault on a federal officer.
The assaults occurred between March 5 and March 9 of this year within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation Reservation. During that time, Yazzie assaulted a female victim by punching her in the face, breaking her nose, and strangling her with his hands. He also threatened the woman with a firearm.
During the same period and in the same location, Yazzie assaulted a second victim by striking him over the head with a stick while the man was sleeping. A few days later, Yazzie held a knife to the victim's throat and threatened to slit it.
When law enforcement arrived at the location to respond to reports of the assaults, Yazzie assaulted federal officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs by attempting to strike them with his fist to cause injury.
U.S. District Court Judge Anne Marie McIff Allen sentenced Yazzie to the 35-month prison term and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah stated that the sentence reflects the seriousness of Yazzie's violent spree and noted that federal law provides additional penalties when violence is directed at responding federal officers.
Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI added that the FBI is committed to protecting people living and working on tribal lands and holding those who threaten their safety accountable.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Sam Pead of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
