Man suspected in shooting on Crow Indian Reservation appears on assault charges

BILLINGS – A man suspected of shooting and wounding a pedestrian from his vehicle in Crow Agency, on the Crow Indian Reservation, had an initial appearance on a criminal complaint today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Fabian Cruz Dawes, 31, a transient, is accused by a criminal complaint of assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, Dawes faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Judge Cavan ordered Dawes detained pending further proceedings.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in the case, the government alleged that on April 7, near the Teepee Service gas station and a laundromat in Crow Agency, the victim, an adult male, was walking with another person, when Dawes approached in a vehicle and stopped near the victim. The victim approached the driver’s side door and engaged in a short conversation with Dawes.  The government further alleged that Dawes fired a single shot at the victim, striking him in the leg. Dawes then drove from the scene. The victim was treated for injuries at the Indian Health Services hospital in Crow Agency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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