A Christmas parade in Kayenta was supposed to bring families together.
Instead, it became the place where a Navajo family lost a 3-year-old child.
On Dec. 22, 2025, a suspected drunk driver allegedly drove into a crowd gathered for a holiday parade in Kayenta, a Navajo Nation township about 300 miles northeast of Phoenix, according to reporting from The Independent. Four people were struck. A 3-year-old Navajo child, identified by his family as Karson Apodaca, was killed.
The suspect, 67-year-old Stanley Begay Jr., was arrested and charged with homicide by vehicle. He was being held in custody, with an arraignment scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026, the report said.
For Karson’s family, the legal process is only one part of the pain.
His family described him as a loving child who brought light to those around him. They also said Karson’s mother, her fiancé, and his grandfather were injured in the crash and are now facing a long road to recovery.
A child who should have been watching Christmas lights and hearing parade music is now being remembered by a grieving community.
On Christmas Eve, people in Kayenta gathered for a vigil. They sang carols and decorated a tree in Karson’s honor. It was a small act of love in the middle of a loss no family should have to carry.
But Karson’s death has also raised painful questions about justice.
Under Navajo law, the maximum sentence for homicide by vehicle is reportedly one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Under state law, a vehicular homicide conviction can carry a sentence of more than 20 years, according to the same report.
That difference has left many people angry, afraid, and asking whether the system is strong enough to protect Native families after tragedy strikes.
Karson was not a number.
He was not just another headline.
He was a child with a name, a family, and a future.
His death is a reminder that Native children deserve more than mourning after they are gone. They deserve protection while they are here.
The Navajo Police Department urged people to be careful, look out for one another, and not drink and drive. That warning now carries the weight of Karson’s name.
Do not drink and drive.
Do not turn celebration into grief.
Do not make another family bury a child.
For Native communities, safety is not an abstract issue. It means children can stand beside the road at a parade and return home. It means families can gather without fear. It means the lives of Native children are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
Karson Apodaca was 3 years old.
Navajo Nation.
Loved.
Remembered.
Worthy of justice.
At Empower Native Voice, we believe stories like Karson’s should not fade when the news cycle moves on. Native families deserve to be heard. Native children deserve to be protected. Native grief deserves more than silence.
Say his name.
Remember his story.
Stand with Native voices.
Carry the message. Honor the children. Stand with Native voices.
Read more stories and explore the Empower Native Voice Collection here:
https://empowernativevoice.com/collections/mmiw-awareness