Curfew issued for San Carlos Apache community: Here's what to know
AZ tribal community under curfew after violence
After multiple murders in just over a week, the San Carlos Apache Tribe has placed the community of Bylas under a curfew. FOX 10's Ashlie Rodriguez has more.
PHOENIX - Police with the San Carlos Apache Tribe say one of their communities has been placed under curfew.
Here's what to know.
What happened?
According to a statement posted on San Carlos Apache Police Department's social media page on March 14, a temporary curfew was approved by the Tribal Council for the community of Bylas, from March 17 to March 29.
Big picture view:
According to an excerpt of the curfew order that was posted by San Carlos Police, the curfew for Bylas will be in effect from 8:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. every day during the aforementioned time period. An exception will be given for essential activities, which include work and health care.
Officials also said there will be "zero tolerance for weapons of any kind."
Where is Bylas?
Bylas is a community located along US 70 within the San Carlos Apache Indian community, about 45 miles to the east of Globe.
Why was a curfew issued for Bylas?
According to a statement we received from San Carlos Apache Police, the decision to place Bylas under curfew was made in response to the murders that have taken place in that area in recent days.
"While all three suspects connected to those incidents have been identified and arrested, the safety of the community remains the highest priority," read a portion of the statement. "The temporary curfew is intended to help stabilize the situation, provide additional time for law enforcement to maintain a strong presence in the area, and give residents reassurance that proactive steps are being taken to protect the community."
"We’re doing something about these violent crimes that are happening. It lets bad guys know that if you do get caught and something does happen, we’re going to put you out there and people are going to see you. You may be on the news," said Ricardo Alvarado with the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
Dig deeper:
Within the span of seven days, there were three murders in the Bylas area: a shooting, a stabbing, and a domestic violence incident.
On their Facebook page, San Carlos Apache Police mentioned two of the cases.
Brandon Hinton (Courtesy: San Carlos Apache Police Department)
In a post made on March 7, investigators said that 24-year-old Brandon Hinton was arrested in connection with a shooting near the Bylas Fitness Center a day prior that led to the death of 20-year-old Tashon Gambler.
On March 13, police announced the arrest of another man in connection with a separate murder case. Investigators said the man, identified as Tre Lang, was arrested for his alleged role in the death of 42-year-old Sonny Garcia Sr.
Tre Lang (Courtesy: San Carlos Apache Police Department)
Have there been other notable criminal cases in that community lately?
Local perspective:
In September 2025, we reported on the stabbing death of 53-year-old Raymond Preston.
Per our report at the time, Preston was found dead in his home on the reservation on Aug. 23, and on the night prior, Preston reportedly hosted a gathering with friends.
Family calls for answers in slaying of San Carlos Apache man
Tribal police & the FBI are investigating the murder of Raymond Preston, a 53-year-old disabled and openly gay man from the San Carlos Apache Tribe. His family believes the fatal stabbing at his home was a hate crime. FOX 10's Justin Lum has the story.
Preston's family believes the murder was a hate crime, as Preston was gay. At the time of the report, Ricardo Alvarado with the San Carlos Apache Police Department said investigators were not ruling it out, but also said there was no evidence at the crime scene showing hateful symbols or sayings.
We caught up with Preton's sister, Jolene Goseyun, on March 17.
"I don’t know why it’s happening in this small town of Bylas," said Goseyun. "We feel sad, we feel frustrated, we feel angry inside. There’s just nobody we can talk to. These investigators here on this reservation – they’re too weak. I don’t want to say it, like, this way, but to me, they are weak."
Tribal officials, however, disagree.
"I think that we’ve opened up a little bit more transparency, and we ask for help, which could mean that people think we’re weak," said Alvarado. "We’re not weak for asking for help. We’re legitimately asking for help to solve crimes, to be able to give victims what they deserve: justice."
Featured
One year later: Family of Emily Pike fears case is going cold despite federal attention
Family and community members gathered in Mesa to mark the one-year anniversary of the discovery of Emily Pike’s, 14, remains, renewing calls for justice in a case that has seen no arrests or public leads since her dismembered body was found near Globe.
Another case that involved a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe is the Emily Pike case.
Pike, who was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, was reported missing from a Mesa group home on Jan. 27, 2025. Her remains were found a few weeks later outside of Globe in the Gila County area.
The investigation briefly drew national attention when FBI Director Kash Patel visited the family. However, relatives and community members say that initial federal momentum has faded, leaving them frustrated by a lack of progress.
Is murder a problem for Arizona native tribes?
Depending on the tribe, the answer is different.
By the numbers:
Figures from the 2023 Indian Country Investigations & Prosecutions report by the U.S. Department of Justice show that for 2023, there were a total of 26 cases of murder or manslaughter in federal case files for Arizona tribes that year, of which one of the cases came from the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The figures also show that some tribes, like the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Fort McDowell Apache Indian Community, had no cases.
One native tribe in Arizona proposed in 2025 to banish and "dis-enroll" members convicted of violent crimes. The proposal by the Gila River Indian Community came after a series of high-profile violent crimes, including the shooting death of tribal police officer Joshua Briese in 2024.
Submit anonymous tips to the San Carlos Apache Police Department
https://tip411.com/tips/sancarlosazpd/new
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from statements released by the San Carlos Apache Police Department, with supplemental information gathered from the U.S. Department of Justice, from previous FOX 10 news reports, and by FOX 10's Ashlie Rodriguez.