Man tied to missing Navajo elder arrested on burglary charge, faces possible return to prison

Authorities in Phoenix arrested Preston Tolth, the sole individual ever charged and convicted for the 2021 disappearance of Navajo weaver and grandmother Ella Mae Begay, after a burglary tip led officers to him a block from the reported break-in, where he matched the suspect description and carried a pocket knife. Tolth had been released from federal prison in June, five years after Begay vanished, due to a Bureau of Prisons rule that counts pre-sentencing time toward release, and was placed in a Phoenix transitional housing facility.

His federal plea required him to avoid further offenses and weapons, restrictions now breached by the new burglary charge in Maricopa County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona confirmed awareness of the arrest and indicated a procedural response will follow. Begay’s family expressed frustration, noting the arrest adds to the lack of closure in the case, while a Phoenix Oasis employee reported Tolth had previously violated program rules by returning drunk on July 4.