ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A Gallup man has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for a violent attack that left his dating partner with severe injuries, including bleeding in the brain.
According to court records, 33-year-old Victor Badonie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted and strangled his partner, identified as Jane Doe, in the early morning hours of March 6, 2024. During the attack, Badonie repeatedly punched her, pinned her by the neck with his forearm, ripped out her hair, and destroyed her phone as she tried to call for help.
After the assault, Doe managed to drive herself to a hospital near Zuni before being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque due to the seriousness of her injuries.
Badonie pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault by strangulation, both felony charges. In addition to his prison term, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $27,801 in restitution for medical expenses tied to the assault.