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A 24-year-old Montezuma Creek man was charged with murder in U.S. District Court on Friday in connection with fatally shooting one man and injuring another on the Navajo Nation last month.
Philbert Rentz is accused of shooting Tedrick Francis, 33, also of Montezuma Creek, after the two argued near a housing complex in Montezuma Creek on July 23, according to a complaint filed late Thursday in federal court.
Rentz's friend, 30-year-old Llewellyn Dee Benally, was charged with being an accessory to Francis' murder and evading police following the crime.
Witnesses told FBI investigators that Rentz, Benally and a third person drove a white Chevrolet pickup through a housing complex on the reservation and stopped, where they met the victim and another person, 26-year-old Verveen Dawes.
Dawes reportedly approached the driver's window of the truck with Francis and began talking to Benally and Rentz, according to court documents.
Dawes and Benally, who both had firearms, began to argue. Benally pointed an AK-47 type assault rifle at Dawes, who then grabbed the barrel of the gun, court documents state.
Rentz, sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, leaned across the front seat and fired one round through the driver's side window of the truck at Dawes, according to court documents. The bullet grazed Dawes and struck Francis in the chest.
Benally fled the scene but allegedly fired four more shots at Dawes and Francis as he drove away, according to court documents.
Benally and the third passenger in the truck, who has not been charged, then dropped Rentz off at home.
Benally allegedly then returned to the crime scene, where police spotted him. He was apprehended after driving away and rolling his truck, court documents state.
Rentz and the third person in the vehicle were interviewed following Benally's arrest. Rentz allegedly told FBI agents that he fired the shot that killed Francis, court documents state.
Court documents do not reveal what the men were arguing about.
Rentz is charged with second-degree felony murder while within Indian Country; assault resulting in serious bodily injury while within Indian Country; accessory after the fact; and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Benally is charged with two separate felony counts of being an accessory. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on one charge and five years in prison on the other if convicted.
The cases are assigned to U.S. Magistrate Brooke C. Wells.
Arraignment dates had not been set as of Friday afternoon.
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