Man charged with murder in Farmington double stabbing

FARMINGTON — Farmington police on Monday announced that Zack Tsosie is being held at the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on a $500,000 cash-only bond in connection to Friday's double stabbing.

Tsosie, 26, of Farmington, was charged Monday in Farmington Magistrate Court with an open count of murder, attempted murder and tampering with evidence, according to court records.

According to the arrest warrant, Farmington police officers were dispatched at 11:15 p.m. Friday to the 7-2-11 convenience store at 800 W. Main St. after receiving reports of a stabbing.

Kimberly Nez, 23, was found at the scene with multiple stab wounds to her chest and stomach, the warrant states. She was transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center for emergency surgery and was in critical condition.

Hospital spokesman Haroon Ahmad said the Farmington woman had improved to good condition as of Monday morning.

Nez told police at the scene that a man had stabbed her and her boyfriend repeatedly at the bridge near West Arrington Street and North Airport Drive.

Officers went to the 200 block of Airport Drive and were flagged down by a resident in the Nevada Trailer Park, 222 Airport Drive. There, officers found Nez's boyfriend, Chancellor Tso, unconscious near a trailer in the park. The warrant states he was suffering from an 8-inch stab wound to the chest.

Tso, 27, of Aztec, was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the warrant.

Donna Lyons has owned the Nevada Trailer Park for six years. She said Monday that she plans to contact her local councilwoman to discuss concerns she has about public intoxication in the area.

She also requested that people stop coming by the property to see where Tso died.

"Just honor the fact that people live here and that someone died here," she asked.

Tsosie was found by police near the trailer park with blood on his pants and hands, and he was wearing a sheath with no knife visible, the warrant states.

He told police he had been drinking at his residence at 1001 Walnut Drive when he decided to walk to Front Row Seat on Main Street to rent a movie. He claimed he lost the knife and said he did not know how he got blood on his pants, according to the warrant.

During the interview, police located a knife covered in blood wrapped in Tsosie's hooded sweatshirt, according to the warrant. Tsosie could not explain why it was in his sweatshirt, the warrant states.

Nez told police after her surgery that a Native American man matching Tsosie's description had asked her boyfriend for a cigarette as they were walking near the bridge on North Airport Drive.

She told police she ignored him and continued walking, but Tso stopped.

She went back to get Tso, and Tsosie then attacked her, stabbing her repeatedly and saying he was going to kill her, according to the warrant.

Nez told police Tsosie at one point forced the knife into her hand and tried to get her to stab him, the warrant states.

She said she was eventually able to escape and went to the 7-2-11, according to the warrant.

Two cellphones found in Tsosie's possession were seized by police, the warrant states.

Farmington police spokeswoman Georgette Allen said Monday that Tsosie recently moved from Arizona to Farmington, but she did not know where in Arizona Tsosie had been living.

An initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled, according to court records.

Steve Garrison covers crime and courts for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4644 and stgarrison@daily-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveGarrisonDT on Twitter.