Gallup Man Faces Federal Charges for Running Over Victim with Car

Federal prosecutors in New Mexico charged Darius Kyran Eskeets, a Gallup resident, with vehicular assault after he allegedly struck a woman with his car and then ran her over, inflicting serious bodily injuries, per a U.S. Department of Justice release dated May 5, 2026.

The incident affected one victim, who sustained serious injuries requiring medical attention, according to the charging documents. Eskeets, the sole defendant, faces federal charges in a case involving a single alleged assault in Gallup, New Mexico, with no additional victims or broader populations mentioned in the release.

Before the charges, Eskeets had not faced federal prosecution for this act; now, he stands indicted under federal statutes for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, with proceedings set to begin in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico following the May 5, 2026, filing.

The charges trigger a pretrial process where Eskeets must appear for arraignment, potentially within weeks of the indictment per standard federal court timelines. Prosecutors will need to present evidence at trial, and if convicted, Eskeets faces penalties including up to 10 years in federal prison under 18 U.S.C. § 113, based on the statutes typically applied in such cases.

The case activates the U.S. Attorney's Office resources for prosecution, including victim support services through the Department of Justice's programs.

This charging follows a pattern of federal involvement in violent crimes on or near tribal lands in New Mexico, where the U.S. Attorney's Office has handled over 50 similar assault cases in the past year, per public Department of Justice records. The venue in federal court stems from jurisdiction over incidents in Indian Country, as Gallup borders the Navajo Nation.