Man Linked to Navajo Elder’s 2021 Disappearance Arrested on Burglary Charge in Phoenix

Preston Tolth, the sole individual ever charged and convicted in the 2021 disappearance of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay, was arrested Tuesday in Phoenix on burglary charges following an unrelated home break-in. The 27-year-old’s arrest raises concerns about potential violations of his federal supervised release and the possibility of his return to prison. Begay, a weaver and grandmother of nine from the Navajo Nation, has never been located despite Tolth’s acknowledgment that he stole her truck, assaulted her, and left her on a roadside.

Tolth was released from federal prison in June, exactly five years after Begay vanished, completing his sentence two years ahead of schedule. The Bureau of Prisons invoked a federal statute allowing early release based on time credited before sentencing on unrelated charges. He was subsequently placed in a transitional housing facility in Phoenix, where his supervised release terms explicitly prohibited additional criminal activity and weapon possession.

Phoenix police located Tolth approximately one block from the burgled residence, clothed in attire matching witness descriptions and carrying a pocket knife, according to court documents. A U.S. Marshals Service warrant for his arrest was active at the time of his apprehension. Staff at Phoenix Oasis, where Tolth was housed, reported that he returned intoxicated on July 4 in violation of facility rules and subsequently departed after refusing medical evaluation.

Begay’s case has become a symbol of the broader crisis affecting Native American communities, with her image displayed at demonstrations and her name invoked at gatherings highlighting missing and murdered Indigenous persons. Her eldest son, Gerald Begay, expressed relief that no one was harmed in the break-in while criticizing federal officials’ decision to release Tolth. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona acknowledged awareness of the arrest, confirming that procedures exist for addressing supervised release violations but declining additional comment.