A 67-year-old man has been charged with homicide by vehicle in connection with the death of a 3-year-old Navajo child during the Kayenta Light Parade, according to the Navajo Nation Office of the Prosecutor.
Stanley Begay Jr., of the Kayenta area, was charged in Kayenta Judicial District Court in connection with the incident, which occurred the evening of Dec. 22, 2025. Prosecutors allege Begay drove a vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians during the parade, resulting in the child’s death.
The charge was filed by a Major Crimes Unit attorney-prosecutor temporarily assigned to serve as acting Kayenta District prosecutor. The criminal complaint alleges Begay violated 14 N.N.C. § 703.
According to court filings, prosecutors moved quickly after the incident to review the scene, evaluate evidence and coordinate with law enforcement to ensure Begay remained in custody while charges were prepared and filed. Those efforts were intended to prevent any lapse in custodial status before formal court proceedings began.
The Navajo Nation Office of the Prosecutor coordinated with the Kayenta Navajo Police Department, the Kayenta Department of Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to file the charge before the court recessed for the remainder of the week.
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Begay has remained in custody and is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 13, 2026, the next available arraignment date.
Prosecutors also filed a motion under Rule 15(d) of the Navajo Rules of Criminal Procedure requesting that Begay be held without release pending the outcome of the case. If the motion is granted, and if no federal indictment is filed under the Major Crimes Act, Begay will remain in tribal custody during the proceedings.
Under Navajo law, the maximum penalty for homicide by vehicle is one year of incarceration and a $5,000 fine. The sentencing limitation exists because the Navajo Nation has not adopted enhanced sentencing authority under the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, which expanded tribal court sentencing powers under certain conditions.
“Nevertheless, a conviction in Navajo Nation District Court is still a conviction, with real and enforceable consequences under Navajo law,” Chief Prosecutor Vernon L. Jackson Sr. said. “Our courts exercise lawful authority, and this matter will proceed consistent with Navajo law and applicable jurisdiction.”
The charge is an allegation. Begay is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in Kayenta Judicial District Court.
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