KIDNAPPING CHARGE FILED IN ZUNI CASE — FEDERAL PROSECUTION DETAILS DECEPTION-BASED ABDUCTION AND ASSAULT IN RURAL NEW MEXICO

A federal criminal case filed in the District of New Mexico outlines an alleged kidnapping carried out through deception, followed by transport to a remote location and reported physical and sexual assault. The charge centers on a method of abduction defined as kidnapping by inveiglement, where false representation is used to gain a victim’s compliance before control is established.

Barton Rico Cooeyate, 41, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, has been charged in connection with an incident that occurred on March 23, 2026. According to court documents, Cooeyate approached the victim, identified as Jane Doe, and offered her a ride home. The offer was accepted under the assumption of safe transport. Instead, the defendant allegedly diverted from that expectation and transported the victim approximately 15 miles to an abandoned rural residence.

The location shift represents the critical transition from voluntary entry to unlawful restraint. Federal filings state that the victim was then subjected to assault and sustained physical injury, including a contusion to her left forearm. The use of deception to initiate the encounter, followed by relocation to an isolated environment, forms the basis of the inveiglement charge.

The sequence of events changed when the victim was able to escape from the vehicle and conceal herself. The break in control occurred prior to further escalation, and the situation intersected with law enforcement activity when a Zuni Pueblo Tribal Ranger conducted an unrelated driving under the influence stop involving Cooeyate. This incidental enforcement action became the point of intervention, enabling authorities to connect the suspect to the reported incident.

The charge of kidnapping by inveiglement carries significant legal weight, as it establishes that consent obtained through deception is not valid consent. The allegation reflects a structured approach in which access is gained through trust, followed by immediate exploitation of that trust to isolate the victim.

Cooeyate is currently being held at La Pasada Halfway House pending trial. No trial date has been scheduled. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of up to life in federal prison.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, through its Gallup Resident Agency, with assistance from Zuni Fish and Wildlife and the Zuni Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones. First Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris announced the charge.

From an operational standpoint, the case reflects a recurring risk pattern in which perpetrators use routine offers of assistance to initiate contact, then shift conditions rapidly to isolate the victim. The transition from public interaction to remote control environment remains a critical factor in abduction cases, particularly in rural regions where distance and limited visibility increase vulnerability.

The charge remains an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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