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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who allegedly shot another man in the back of the head during an argument in the Navajo Nation was charged with murder Friday in federal court.
Perry Maryboy faces one count of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Antonio Montowine on April 14 south of Bluff, San Juan County. Federal agents arrested Maryboy, 34, at a home in Bluff on Wednesday without incident after a monthslong investigation.
Montowine, his wife and 7-year-old son were in their van looking for a lost pet on their family property on the Navajo Reservation about 2 1/2 miles from state Route 191 south of Bluff when they drove by a white truck. A man in the truck was texting on his cellphone.
Because of people dumping trash in the past on the property, Montowine's wife asked him to stop and confront the driver.
The man got out of the truck, retrieved an item from inside, and an argument ensued between the two men. The man held up a handgun that he called a ".38" and fired a shot into the air, according to court documents.
As Montowine tried to get back into the van, the man fired a second shot that struck him in the back of the head, court documents say. The man then got into his truck and drove away.
In August, investigators received a text message from Montowine's wife saying she had seen the truck on the Navajo Reservation and provided a license plate number. Federal agents traced the plate to Maryboy's wife.
After obtaining a search warrant, agents used Maryboy's cellphone records to place him at the scene of the shooting, court document say.
Maryboy, of White Rock Point in the Navajo Nation, made an initial court appearance Friday. He is being held in custody and a detention hearing is scheduled for next week.
