Staff Reports
DOUBLE ARREST FOR BUGLARY
Gallup, July 16
McKinley County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Ganado, Ariz., man after he was caught breaking into a local storage unit.
Deputy Jacob Valle was dispatched to Kachina Rentals, 22 W. Hwy. 66, about 4:48 am in reference to a burglary. When he arrived at the site, he met a man named Shay Barber, 41, who said another male identified as Kevin Finn, 46, was unconscious on the ground. Barber was detained while the investigation unfolded.
Valle met the owner of Kachina Rentals, who allowed him to review the security footage. The footage reportedly showed Barber and Finn along with an unidentified third male breaking into one of the storage units on the premises and taking several items out and walking away. Officers searched the nearby surroundings and found various tools scattered by the railroad tracks.
Afterward, Valle spoke to Finn, who reportedly said after he was kicked out of his house by his wife that he went to this part of town to sleep outside. He added that he was eventually woken up by an unidentified man and then the officers. Finn reportedly looked nervous as the officers spoke to him, sweating constantly despite the mild temperatures.
Valle met with Barber next, who stated that Finn was staying at a “brick house” in Gamerco, N.M. and agreed to go steal something when he was asked. He reportedly said that an acquittance of Finn’s drove them to the storage unit and that it was open when they arrived. Neither he nor Finn identified the third male in the footage.
After recovering the items, the officers placed Finn and Barber under arrest for burglary. The preliminary examinations for both Finn and Barber are set for Aug. 12.
FIGHTING IN A PARKING LOT
Gallup, July 16
Gallup Police officers arrested a Gallup man after he assaulted and restrained his former spouse during a domestic dispute outside a local business.
Officers responded about 3:07 pm to reports of a male and female physically fighting outside Home Depot at 530 Kachina St. Officers identified the male as Juan Day, 26. He and the victim are reportedly former partners who have a child.
The victim reportedly told officers that Day prevented her from leaving the area, and he grabbed and shoved her into a bush. Officers observed bruising on both of her arms and a scratch on her neck, which she stated resulted from Day allegedly trying to choke her the night before.
A witness at the scene spoke to the officers and reportedly said that Day was the aggressor and they saw him push the victim into the bush. Gallup Police said Home Depot surveillance footage reviewed by officers corroborated the victim’s account and contradicted Day’s claim that the victim fell over on her own.
Based on the investigation, the officers arrested Day and charged him with false imprisonment, battery against a household member, and deprivation of property of a household member. He was transported to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center once the paperwork was finished.
His preliminary examination is set for Aug. 12.
DISPUTE IN A HOTEL
Gallup, July 3
A Gallup man was served with a warrant for battery and child abuse charges several days after a reported domestic violence incident at a local hotel.
Gallup Police Officers responded around 11:30 pm to the Quality Inn & Suites at 1500 W. Maloney Ave. after receiving a report of a man and woman fighting in one of the guest rooms.
When Officer Mageal Cruz arrived at the specified room, he found a woman with a swollen, bloody lip and a scratch on her shoulder. The woman was reportedly holding a young child.
The victim reportedly said the male, Donovan Cadman, 27, slapped her in the face but then later told emergency medical personnel that he punched her with a closed fist. The victim declined medical treatment for herself and the child after medical staff determined the child appeared to be in good health.
Officers searched the scene and reportedly found signs of a struggle inside the hotel room, including broken glass on the floor, dried blood on the bed, and numerous empty alcoholic beverage containers. Cruz also noted the child’s clothing reportedly smelling strongly of alcohol and appearing soaked with an alcoholic beverage.
For the victims’ safety, officers transported both of them to another motel where they stayed with a family member.
Officers then identified Cadman as the primary aggressor based on the victim’s injuries and statements. They also cited the child’s exposure to the violent incident and the condition of the room in recommending a child abuse charge.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant charging Cadman with battery against a household member and child abuse. It was at this point that officers learned that Cadman had two previous battery charges against him from June 2024 and April 2025.
The warrant was issued on July 17 and Cadman appeared in Gallup Magistrate Court on July 20. His preliminary examination is now set for Aug. 12.
