Press Release
Mescalero Woman Pleads Guilty to Domestic Abuse
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Prestina Lee Kazhe pleaded guilty in federal court to assault of an intimate partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. Kazhe, 44, of Mecalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending sentencing which has not been scheduled.
According to publicly available court records, on Sept. 24, 2023, Kazhe assaulted John Doe by repeatedly hitting him over the head with a Bud Light bottle and a metal pot and bit him on the arm. Following the assault, John Doe was transported to a nearby medical center where he was treated for three large lacerations which required multiple staples to close the wounds.
At sentencing, Kazhe faces up to 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
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Updated March 12, 2024
Topic
Indian Country Law and Justice
Component