Full Breakdown
Arrest of Man Linked to Navajo Elder’s Disappearance Faces New Burglary Charge
7/31/2026, 12:46:04 PM
Background of the Begay Case
- In 2021, Ella Mae Begay, a Navajo weaver and grandmother of nine, vanished from a remote community on the Navajo Nation and has never been found.
- Preston Tolth is the only person ever charged and convicted in connection with her disappearance; he acknowledged stealing her truck, beating her and leaving her on the side of the road.
- Begay’s photograph appears at marches and rallies that draw attention to the broader crisis of missing persons in Indian Country.
Recent Burglary Arrest
- Phoenix police responded to a call about a home break-in and located Tolth about a block away, matching the suspect description and carrying a pocket knife, according to court records.
- He now faces a single burglary charge in Maricopa County.
- Tolth was released from federal prison in June, five years after Begay vanished, after the Bureau of Prisons applied a federal statute that counts time served on unrelated charges toward his sentence.
- While residing in a transitional-housing program in Phoenix, he returned to the facility intoxicated on July 4, violating program rules, then left voluntarily after refusing transport to a medical center.
Official Response
- Esther Winne, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, said the office is aware of the arrest and noted “There is a process for handling violations.” “There is a process for handling violations,” — Thursday. Esther Winne, a spokesperson for the U
- The U.S. Marshals Service had an active warrant for Tolth when Phoenix police took him into custody.
- Begay’s family said they were unaware Tolth had left the transitional-housing program.
Potential Consequences
- Tolth’s federal plea agreement bars him from committing additional crimes and from possessing dangerous weapons; a violation could trigger a return to federal prison.
