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Crime & Courts

Little Water Man Sentenced to 46 Months for 2024 Shooting

Anthony Sandoval was sentenced in federal court for shooting a victim with a rifle during an altercation in Little Water, New Mexico.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 9:04 a.m. ET
According to official records released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico (Release No. ), 41-year-old Anthony Sandoval, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was on August 11, 2026, to 46 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon. There is no parole in the federal system. Sandoval will also be subject to three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Official court documents state that on July 29, 2024, Sandoval and the victim were intoxicated when they got into a disagreement at a residence in Little Water, New Mexico. During the altercation, Sandoval shot the victim with a .22 caliber rifle. Sandoval called emergency dispatch, reported that he had shot someone, and remained at the scene until law enforcement arrived. He fled before additional officers arrived, but law enforcement located and arrested him later that evening at another residence. Responding officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the head and transported him to a local hospital before he was airlifted to a regional hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries. Sandoval subsequently pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office announced the sentencing.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 13:04current

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