U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing in Tohatchi Assault Case

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 14 days in prison and three years of supervised release for a violent family dispute that escalated into a near-fatal stabbing.

According to court records, on the morning of December 9, 2022, Eric Watson, 23, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, confronted a family member outside of a residence in Tohatchi, New Mexico. The confrontation escalated to a physical altercation and Watson’s uncle, John Doe, stepped in to stop the fight. Watson and John Doe began to fight instead, and John Doe’s parents stepped in to stop that fight. John Doe then went inside of the residence to Watson’s bedroom with the intent of destroying Watson’s video game console. Watson then came up behind John Doe and repeatedly stabbed him in the back.

John Doe suffered various injuries from the stabbing including a collapsed lung, other stab wounds to the upper back and neck area, and one stab wound inches away from his spinal cord.

Watson will be subject to 3 years of supervised release with special conditions requiring his residence at a residential reentry facility for up to 180 days, treatment for substance abuse and mental health, and 40 hours of community service.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

The Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted the case.

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