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Phoenix Arrests Preston Tolth, Charged in Navajo Elder’s Disappearance

7/31/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Phoenix police arrested 27-year-old Preston Tolth Tuesday for burglary after a break-in.
Tolth is the only person charged in the 2021 disappearance of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay.
He was released in June 2026, five years after Begay vanished and two years early, under a supervised-release plea that barred new crimes, returned drunk later, broke rules, left voluntarily, prompting Begay’s family to say they were relieved no one was harmed.

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Story summary

Phoenix police arrested 27-year-old Preston Tolth Tuesday for burglary after a break-in.
Tolth is the only person charged in the 2021 disappearance of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay.
He was released in June 2026, five years after Begay vanished and two years early, under a supervised-release plea that barred new crimes, returned drunk later, broke rules, left voluntarily, prompting Begay’s family to say they were relieved no one was harmed.