Family seeks help finding Gallup woman missing since April 29

Latasha Marie Begay was dropped off in Gallup on April 29 and has not been heard from since, even though there has been social media contact. Her family is asking McKinley County residents to help locate the 34-year-old woman and to report anything that could explain where she went after that last known drop-off.

The case reaches across Gallup and Navajo Nation jurisdictions, where tribal officers, county residents and state agencies may each hold part of the trail. The Navajo Nation Police Department maintains a missing-persons unit and public missing-persons pages, while New Mexico’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse serves as the state’s central missing-person repository and keeps information moving between police agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

New Mexico law allows a missing person to be reported at any time when the person’s whereabouts are unknown and there is reason to believe the person may be in danger. The clearinghouse posts missing people with photos and brief descriptions on the public state website, and it works to keep those listings current as new information comes in.

Because Begay is Navajo, the Turquoise Alert system may also apply if the legal standards are met. In New Mexico, that alert is intended for missing Indigenous people who are enrolled members or eligible for enrollment in a tribe or pueblo and who are missing under involuntary, unexplained, suspicious or otherwise risky circumstances. The alert can be sent through emergency channels when there is evidence of imminent danger and enough descriptive information to help find the person.

Anyone with information can contact the Navajo Nation Police Department missing-persons tip line at (928) 686-8563 or email TIPS.NPD@NAVAJO-NSN.GOV. The most useful details are the exact place Begay was dropped off, the last time she was seen, who was with her, whether any vehicle was involved, and when the social media contact stopped. In a case that depends on cooperation across Gallup, McKinley County and the Navajo Nation, even one verified detail could help close the gap that has remained open since April 29.