At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, a Snowflake-Taylor Police officer located a golf cart driving in the vicinity of 400 West Street and Center Street in Taylor with no lights on. When the officer attempted to stop the golf cart, the driver identified as Byron Begay, 33, of Snowflake, took measures to evade police but was unsuccessful.
During the arrest, the officers noticed the shoes Begay was wearing appeared to be a match to shoe prints that had been found at the scene of multiple arsons and burglaries within the Snowflake area.
During the investigation and subsequent interview, Begay admitted involvement in over 15 criminal investigations stemming back to 2016. These cases include arsons, burglaries and other thefts including the arson of Snowflake High School football field announcer’s booth, the announcer’s booth at Fredrickson Park, as well as several unoccupied or vacant homes in Snowflake.
Chief Robert Martin of the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department stated, “This arrest signifies the end of several years of frustration for our community and the police department. We have waited for many years to catch a break with these cases and put an end to the many arsons our community has endured. I am proud of the work my officers and detectives were able to accomplish in piecing together so many cases, many of which happened before they even started working for the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department. I would like to thank Chief Willie Nelson of the Taylor-Snowflake Fire/EMS Department for his assistance and expertise during these investigations also. Multiple cases have been referred to the Navajo County Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
