The Coconino County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday afternoon that it arrested 31-year-old Brandon Begay and booked him into the Coconino County Detention Facility for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Begay's arrest came on Monday following a report of an intoxicated man exiting a vehicle and obstructing traffic in the area of聽U.S. Highway 89 and Silver Saddle Road around 2:47 p.m. The initial report stated the man, later identified as Begay, was nearly struck by passing vehicles.
As sheriff's deputies were in route, an additional report said the man had re-entered a white Ford Fusion driven by a second man and was traveling north on Highway 89. With the assistance of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), sheriff's deputies began searching the area for the vehicle. Another report informed law enforcement that the two men matching the previous descriptions were seen at the Sunset Crater National Monument Visitor Center.
Sheriff's deputies and DPS were informed that the passenger had left the area on foot and just one man remained in the vehicle, with National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement rangers and a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer eventually locating the vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 89 near milepost 422.
After stopping the car and making contact with the driver, law enforcement learned he was the victim of a stabbing. As emergency medical services were dispatched for the stabbing victim, he described the suspect as a Native American male, with a height of 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, wearing a dark hoodie, dark shorts and carrying a backpack. After the stabbing suspect left on foot from the visitor's center, the victim told officers he believed he was walking toward Bonito Campground.
A search of the campground and surrounding area led to locating a man matching the description on Forest Service Road 776. As a sheriff's deputy attempted to make contact, the man fled on foot. After he was detained, it was determined he was not the stabbing suspect, but did have two outstanding warrants and was arrested.
After the search for the stabbing suspect resumed, sheriff's deputies, and officers from NPS and the Forest Service found shoeprints leading from the campground into nearby lava flow leading to the suspect, who was taken into custody with no further incident.
The victim who was stabbed is expected to recover from his injuries and no further information available at this time.