On Feb. 20, a Navajo County Sheriff’s deputy was assisting the Navajo Police Department (Chinle District) with a saturation patrol in the Pinion area. The patrol was a result from numerous complaints regarding drug activity and DUI’s in the area. At about 7:10 p.m., the deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for failing to stop at a stop sign. After the deputy activated his emergency lights, the vehicle continued driving slow failing to yield for some distance. When the vehicle stopped, the deputy contacted the male driver and two passengers. The driver identified himself as Mardino George, 30, of Blue Gap. The deputy was aware the task force was looking for this individual because of the FBI issuing a warrant for his arrest on second-degree murder charges. Upon searching Mardino, he was found to have shotgun shells and 22-caliber ammunition in his pockets. When Officers from the task force arrived, they searched the vehicle and found about a gram of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, small plastic baggies, scales and two weapons. One of the weapons was a 22-caliber that was missing the grip and the other was a homemade shotgun, which was made from a metal pipe. The FBI was contacted and George was transported to Chinle jail per the request of the FBI who picked the suspect up on the following day. The female passenger, Shirlene Dick, 25, of Pinion was also arrested and transported to the Chinle jail for possession of a narcotic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. The male passenger of the vehicle was released from the scene. All evidence has been turned over to the Navajo PD Task Force Officers.
