Slain New Mexico girl was hit in head with tire iron
SHIPROCK, N.M. -- Authorities say an 11-year-old Navajo girl who was abducted from a school bus stop and killed was hit twice in the head with a tire iron.
A criminal complaint released Wednesday details how Ashlynne Mike died and a motive for the attack on the Navajo Nation. Tom Begaye allegedly told investigators he intended to have sex with the girl. He is facing murder and kidnapping charges and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico.
According to the complaint, Begaye lured Ashlynne into a van Monday afternoon by offering to take her to a movie. Her younger brother joined her. The boy told police he initially said no to going into the van, but his sister was lured in, and he didn't want her to go alone, reports CBS affiliate KRQE.
The abduction sparked a frantic air and ground search. But the immediate search was focused on the opposite side of the highway from where authorities needed to be looking.
Begaye, who does not yet have an attorney, allegedly told investigators he drove the siblings out to a remote area along a dirt road. The boy escaped, but the girl didn't.
Police say Begaye then walked with the girl into the hills of a remote area of the Navajo Nation known for its breathtaking views and the monolithic rock outcropping that stands as a beacon for miles, KRQE reports. As the sun faded, police say the man returned alone with a crowbar tucked in his jacket; the girl was nowhere to be seen.
Search crews found Ashlynne's body Tuesday morning and Begaye was arrested hours later.
On Wednesday, the 27-year-old man shuffled into the courtroom in shackles, but stayed quiet as some of the victim's relatives and other community members listened to the charges being read.
Shawn Mike, Ashlynne's cousin told KRQE that he didn't believe the family knew Begaye previously. Mike said the man who took Ashlynne and her brother tried twice to get his son to get into the vehicle with the other children.
"My son said he just waved," Shawn Mike said. "He said the vehicle just sped off, and as it was driving off he just saw Ashlynne waving toward him."