The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name.... (Associated Press) 
 
 SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) — The stranger walked with 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike into the hills of a remote area of the Navajo Nation known for its breathtaking views and the monolithic rock outcropping that stands as a beacon for miles. Late Tuesday, the FBI arrested 27-year-old Tom Begaye of Waterflow, N.M., in connection with Ashlynne’s abduction and death – putting an end to a massive manhunt and easing fears that rippled through the community regarding all children’s safety. The brother and another boy — a relative of the children — said no, but Ashlynne was somehow lured into the van. Shawn Mike, Ashlynne's cousin and the father of the boy who stayed behind, said he didn't believe the family knew Begaye. She said she honked and the kids waved at her. He drove a maroon van with a luggage rack but no hubcaps. The man was described as a light-skinned Native American man in his 20s or 30s with short, dark hair, a teardrop tattoo under his left eye and pierced ears. But the immediate search was focused on the opposite side of the highway from where authorities needed to be looking. Ashlynne and Ian Mike were on a school bus from Ojo Amarillo elementary school that dropped them off at their regular stop in Lower Fruitland Monday afternoon, according to Shawn Mike. The male driver asked Shawn Mike’s son if he wanted to go to the movies with them, and when the boy said no, tried to give him a ride home. It's unclear how long it could take for medical investigators to determine the cause of the girl's death. On Tuesday, Ashlynne's body was found after about 100 people from the community turned out to help look for her. “I just can’t imagine what the individual said or did to lure them into the vehicle,” Shawn Mike said. After searchers found the body, he was wrecked. “It is important to honor Ashlynne’s memory and for our students, parents, community members, and staff to continue to move forward with their lives.” 
 
 ‘Tears are falling’ 
 
 Stanley Wauneka, Chapter Manager for the San Juan Chapter House, said everyone is shocked over the crime. “This morning when we heard the Amber Alert we were just praying and hoping we would find her. “I told him God was with him and that’s how he managed to get free, and to just keep praying for his sister,” he said.
– The Navajo Nation has been shaken by the nightmarish murder of an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped along with her 9-year-old brother. Authorities say the body of Ashlynne Mike was found in a remote area near the Shiprock monument in northwest New Mexico on Tuesday, the day after a stranger lured her and her brother into his van after school, the Arizona Republic reports. Her brother told authorities Monday evening that the man walked into the hills with his sister and returned alone. He ran toward a highway when he saw the man coming back and was eventually picked up by somebody who took him to police. A frantic search for Ashlynne followed. "He was so tired and just crying and crying for his sister. It was really hard for the FBI to get any information from him," the boy's aunt tells the AP. On Tuesday night, hours after the girl's body was found, the FBI announced that Tom Begaye, 27, had been arrested in connection with the murder. Relatives say the family did not know Begaye, who allegedly tried to get other children into his van, saying he wanted to take them to a movie. Shawn Mike, father of a boy who refused to get into the suspect's van, tells the Albuquerque Journal that the siblings lived with their father, Gary. "I just can't imagine what the individual said or did to lure them into the vehicle," he says. "I know Gary, he's a good father and taught his kids well." He says the horrific killing should teach the community two things: "I think it's really important to remind our children everywhere not to talk to strangers," he says. "And most importantly to tell them that we love them."