Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Woman with Knife

ALBUQUERQUE - A Utah man admitted he assaulted the victim and threatened her with a pocketknife while she was holding an infant child.

According to court records, on October 11, 2023, Kubert Yanito, 54, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to the victims' residence near Sheep Springs, New Mexico, where he assaulted her by striking, biting, and scratching her. When the victim attempted to leave with her infant daughter, Yanito threatened her with a pocketknife. Yanito fled after family members heard the victim's cries for help. Yanito had previously been convicted of domestic violence, making him a habitual offender.

Yanito pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, and according to the plea agreement faces between 60-70 months in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nichola J. Marshall.