Criminal damage and related charges were filed in Farmington Magistrate Court following a reported disturbance at the Animas Valley Mall, according to a statement of probable cause filed in San Juan County.

The charges stem from a Feb. 27, 2026 incident in which officers responded to reports of an armed individual inside a movie theater at the mall.

What Court Records Allege

Initial Report of Armed Individual

According to the statement of probable cause, a Farmington police officer was dispatched at approximately 3:44 p.m. to the Animas Valley Mall after dispatch advised of a male reportedly threatening people with a machete inside a movie theater.

The officer wrote that contact teams were formed and a perimeter was established around the mall. Dispatch also contacted a nearby daycare as a precautionary measure. Officers conducted a sweep of the mall but did not immediately locate the individual described in the call.

Police later obtained updated information indicating the individual had been seen at a retail store within the mall earlier in the day. Officers canvassed the area and eventually located a man matching the description near a nearby dealership, where he was detained.

This filing follows a separate Farmington domestic stabbing arrest case previously reported by San Juan Pulse in San Juan County.

Theater Witness Statements

The probable cause statement details interviews with multiple witnesses inside the theater. A theater manager reported reviewing surveillance footage that showed a man walking in a hallway holding what appeared to be a machete. The manager stated the man was pacing, lifting the object in the air and pointing it while talking to himself. The manager also reported that damage was later discovered inside the theater.

Three women who were seated near the top of the theater provided statements to officers. According to the document, one witness stated that a man was sitting in her assigned seat and refused to move. She said she later observed him throw a beverage at the movie screen before leaving the theater. The witness reported that the man re-entered the theater and made statements about making people scream while holding a metal object. She stated she saw sparks when the object struck a metal post.

Another witness told police she observed the man throw his drink at the screen and later return with what she described as a metal object or sword. A third witness reported hearing a loud bang after hearing statements about a scream, though she did not see the object directly.

All three witnesses reported they were concerned for their safety during the incident, according to the affidavit.

Property Damage and Arrest

The theater manager told officers that the thrown beverage caused damage to the movie screen. The estimated cost of repairing the screen before taxes and labor was listed at $5,240. The manager also reported damage to reclining seats, estimating approximately $110 in damage, and additional damage in the men’s restroom, including a marble panel and mirror, estimated at $3,000.

Officers also stated that the individual admitted to watching the movie without paying for a ticket and acknowledged it was wrong. The ticket cost was approximately $12, according to the document.

The probable cause statement indicates the man was taken into custody and transported to the San Juan County Adult Detention Center. Officers also noted that video footage was collected from the theater and from a retail store inside the mall.

Charges Filed

• Criminal Damage to Property
• Fraud
• Disorderly Conduct
• Carrying a Deadly Weapon

Case Status

The case was filed in Farmington Magistrate Court under case number M-47-FR-2026-00124. Court records reflect the matter was filed March 2, 2026.

Source

This article is based on a Statement of Probable Cause filed in Farmington Magistrate Court in San Juan County, New Mexico.

Eric Lacy is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are allegations. No determination of guilt has been made.