PHOENIX, Ariz. – A man convicted of killing his significant other with his vehicle near McNary, Arizona, was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2026, in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
Termane Billy Celaya, 20, of McNary, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sharad H. Desai to 97 months in the Bureau of Prisons. Celaya previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.
Celaya was seated in his pickup truck while he argued with the victim, who was his significant other, while she stood outside of the vehicle. During the argument, Celaya backed up the truck and drove it forward, running over and killing the victim. Celaya fled the scene in the vehicle and was later captured by police after leading them on a pursuit.
FBI Phoenix, Pinetop-Lakeside office, and the White Mountain Apache Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08095-PCT-SHD
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-030_Celaya
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Arizona — U.S. Department of Justice press release.