Zuni Man Charged with Kidnapping

ALBUQUERQUE - A Zuni man has been charged with kidnapping after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he tricked into getting in his car by offering her a ride home.

According to court documents, on March 23, 2026, Barton Rico Cooeyate, 41, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted Jane Doe after offering her a ride home in Zuni, New Mexico, only to transport her to an abandoned rural residence 15 miles away. The victim escaped from Cooeyate's vehicle and hid until a Zuni Pueblo Tribal Ranger conducted an unrelated DWI stop on Cooeyate. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered injuries including a contusion to her left forearm.

Cooeyate is charged with kidnapping by inveiglement. This means Cooeyatelured the woman into his car by false representations or promises, or other deceitful means. He will remain in La Pasada Halfway House pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Cooeyate faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Fish and Wildlife and the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.