Arrests made in killing

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Police arrested two men Wednesday in connection with the death of another man who was found dead in the northside Rio Puerco.

Gallup resident Nelson Yatsattie, 34, and Zuni resident Anthony Kaamasee, 22, were booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on a charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence for their alleged roles in the homicide.

Police expect to release additional information about the arrests today. Authorities say the severely decomposed body is that of a Native American man. However, police are waiting to confirm his identity through fingerprints.

Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman for the Gallup Police Department, said the man's lower extremities were covered with a plastic bag and a wooden plank was on top of his entire body. Signs of injury, including shallow cuts in his chest, were also evident. The above factors lead police to believe the man's death is suspicious.

"The signs of injury are consistent with a homicide," Toadlena-Pablo said.

A passer-by walking along a path in the area north of the downtown train station discovered the body at about 3:45 p.m. and immediately reported the matter to police.

Toadlena-Pablo said the man's body was in the area three to five days before its discovery. The man had no form of identification in his clothing. He was wearing black pants and a printed T-shirt.