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FBI investigating assault, vehicle theft near Four Corners Monument

The assailants attacked the truck's owner, causing serious injuries, and could be connected to other recent crimes in the Four Corners region, the FBI said.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY, Colo. — The FBI was asking for the public's help in solving an assault and vehicle theft in late April near the Four Corners Monument.

On April 29, assailants attacked an individual and stole their pickup truck near the entrance of the Weeminuche Construction Authority gravel pit off U.S. 160, on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. The pickup's owner, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, suffered a hemorrhage inside the head and facial lacerations that resulted in significant blood loss, according to the FBI Denver Bureau.

The stolen vehicle was described as a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado 2WD crew cab short bed with Arizona tag CAF1572. The truck has a cracked windshield, black marks on the driver's side front fender and an "#AZStrong" sticker in the rear window, according to the FBI.

The assailants are thought to have fled in the direction of U.S. 160 and U.S. 64 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The FBI said the assailants might be linked to other recent crimes in the Four Corners region and are asking the public for any information that will lead to an arrest.

"We have seen too much violence in our communities in the Four Corners area," said Michael Schneider, Denver FBI special agent in charge. "The FBI is responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and we, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these cases."

> Video above: Educators teaching about the importance of Native American history in Colorado, published in 2018

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