ALBUQUERQUE - According to the U.S. Department of Justice, on the night of June 16, 2025, an incident occurred leading to a Zuni man being charged in federal court with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Law enforcement has charged Adrian Cheama, a 36-year-old enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, with assault.
Reportedly, the victim and his friend were walking along a residential street in Zuni, New Mexico, when a man came and stabbed the victim in the abdomen that witnesses described as a circular metal pole or a knife.
After stabbing the victim, according to court documents, Cheama walked away laughing.
Witnesses have placed Cheama at the scene and stated that he had carried a backpack and baton-like object before and during the attack. The investigation has revealed that prior to the attack, Cheama had made statements suggesting that he was looking for the victim.
On July 22, 2025, the charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office.
Cheama will remain in custody pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled. Cheama is currently presumed innocent, but if convicted of the current charges, faces up to 10 years in prison.
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office and the Zuni Police Department, highlighting the local and federal commitment to addressing violent crime in the community.
Editor’s note: Being charged with a crime is only an allegation, all defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.