Farmington man arrested for murder after early morning assault kills Eli Newton

A Farmington man has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge after Eli Newton died from injuries suffered in an early-morning assault near East Broadway, a case that has drawn added attention as police investigate another deadly incident elsewhere in the city.

Farmington police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Andrew Begay and said he was arrested Friday. The victim was 43-year-old Eli Newton. Police said the case began just after midnight on April 15, when the Farmington Fire Department’s Alternative Response Unit checked on a person near East Broadway and found Newton with “significant injuries.”

First responders took Newton to San Juan Regional Medical Center, where he later died. Police have not publicly said what led to the assault, what relationship, if any, existed between Newton and Begay, or whether investigators believe the attack was targeted. Those details remain part of the broader murder investigation now moving through the courts.

The arrest puts the case into its next procedural phase as detectives continue to gather statements and evidence tied to the incident near East Broadway. Farmington police asked witnesses or anyone with information to call the department at (505) 599-1068.

The killing comes during a particularly hard week for Farmington, where another fatal incident is also under investigation. Police identified 46-year-old Ernest Begay as the man struck and killed by a police vehicle near Broadway and Butler while officers were searching for a suspect. In that case, Officer Jasmine Hernandez was placed on administrative assignment while the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office investigates.

Taken together, the two deaths have intensified scrutiny of safety and police response in one of San Juan County’s busiest corridors. East Broadway and the Broadway and Butler area sit at the center of daily traffic, emergency calls and public concern, and both fatal episodes have left residents looking for answers as separate investigations continue.