A Farmington man has been charged with strong armed robbery after allegedly taking a backpack from another man along the Riverwalk trail, according to a statement of probable cause filed in Farmington Magistrate Court.

The incident was reported March 8, 2026, near the Riverwalk Nature Trail area under the South Miller Avenue bridge, according to the court document.

Report of a robbery near Riverwalk trail

According to the statement of probable cause, a Farmington police officer was dispatched at approximately 2:15 a.m. on March 8 after a man reported he had been robbed near the intersection of Pinon Street and South Miller Avenue.

The man told officers he had been dropped off by a coworker and was walking home along the Riverwalk Nature Trail when he encountered the defendant under the bridge. The man reported the defendant appeared intoxicated and began shouting at him as he passed.

Court records state the defendant grabbed the man’s backpack and attempted to remove it from his person. The man reported the defendant threatened him during the encounter.

Backpack taken and contents reported stolen

The man told officers he slipped out of the backpack straps and ran toward the roadway, where he contacted police. According to the report, the backpack contained several items.

The reported items included a wallet with identification and credit cards valued at about $50, a black jacket valued at about $20, and a paycheck valued at $1,000.

The total value of the items was reported as approximately $1,070.

Suspect located near Boyce Park area

According to the court document, another officer located a man matching the suspect description lying in brush near the River Walk area close to Pinon and Cedar streets.

The officer reported the man was wearing red Nike shoes, grey Nike sweatpants, a black hoodie, and a black Chicago Bulls hat. A black backpack was also observed nearby.

Police reported observing a broken bottle of vodka in the front hoodie pocket before identifying the man and detaining him.

Interview with the defendant

Dorian Yazzie was identified as the suspect in the reported robbery, according to the statement of probable cause.

According to the document, he told officers the encounter began as a verbal argument over an alcoholic container and denied using physical force. Court records state he acknowledged having the backpack but denied taking it through a physical altercation.

Officers reported the backpack was later identified as belonging to the reporting man.

CHARGES FILED

• Strong Armed Robbery
• Bench Warrant (failure to appear)

CASE STATUS

According to the court filing, the defendant was arrested and transported to the San Juan County Adult Detention Center for booking.

SOURCE

Statement of Probable Cause filed in Farmington Magistrate Court, San Juan County, New Mexico.

Dorian Yazzie is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Charges are allegations.