Gamerco man charged with assault

By Philip Stake
Staff writer

GAMERCO — McKinley County Sheriff’s deputies booked Frank Gantar, 49, into McKinley County Detention Center early Saturday after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend with a .22-caliber rifle. Gantar is charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a household member, a fourth-degree felony, one count of assault, a misdemeanor, and one count of negligent use of a deadly weapon, a petty misdemeanor. Bond is set at $10,000.

The incident occurred late Friday night after Gantar was seen at two bars, drinking shots of tequila at the first bar then attempting to fight at the second one, according to deputies’ reports. He was ejected from the second bar, and Gallup Police transported him home. Police and deputies spoke with Gantar’s girlfriend, Dyanne Valdez, who lives at the same address, and explained that he was drunk. She told them he could stay.

After exiting the cruiser and walking into his front yard, Gantar obscenely instructed the officers to exit his property, according to the reports. He walked inside and closed the door. Gallup Police and sheriff’s deputies cleared the area.
According to deputies’ interview with the victim, Gantar said he was “going to kill him some cops,” and told Valdez she would “get it, too.” Then he walked to a bedroom and loaded the .22-caliber magazine. Valdez went to the bathroom and dialed 911. Gantar entered the bathroom and repeated his threat, aimed the rifle at her and began to wrestle for the phone.

She said she ran to her 17-year-old son’s room and instructed the boy and his 15-year-old friend to leave through the window. Valdez then left the home. From a neighbor’s house across the street, she observed Gantar in his front yard, pacing, holding the rifle. When deputies arrived they placed him under arrest and confiscated his weapon. The weapon’s magazine was loaded, but the chamber was empty.