Three Pinehill Men Charged in Fatal Assault
ALBUQUERQUE / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 – Three men are charged by federal authorities in connection with an incident in which one person was killed and another was seriously injured.
According to court records, on January 5, 2026, brothers Sullivan Jake Jr., 25, Braxton Jake, 18, and Juanillo Lee Jake, 23, all enrolled members of the Ramah-Navajo Indian Tribe, allegedly assaulted John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 at a residence in Pinehill, New Mexico. John Doe 1 was pronounced deceased at the scene. John Doe 2 was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.
The defendants allegedly arrived together in a blue truck and assaulted John Doe 1 using wooden sticks, metal poles, rocks, and other blunt objects. When John Doe 2 attempted to intervene, the defendants allegedly assaulted him as well. John Doe 2 sustained a broken arm, severe head and facial injuries, partial loss of an ear, and bleeding in the brain.
The defendants are charged with second degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. They will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, all three defendants face up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Jake).pdf
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico
