A man has been charged with possession of a controlled substance after police reported finding methamphetamine during a shoplifting investigation in Farmington, according to a Statement of Probable Cause filed in magistrate court. The incident was reported March 10, 2026.

The document states a Farmington police officer was dispatched at about 1:37 p.m. to a Dollar General store regarding a male reportedly stealing lighter fluid.

Dispatch Call and Initial Contact

According to the statement, the officer located a man matching the suspect description walking southwest down a river trail near the store. The officer wrote that the man continued walking after police lights and siren were activated.

The officer reported exiting the patrol vehicle and contacting the man in the river trail area. The man sat down and the officer explained he was being contacted regarding the reported shoplifting.

The man declined to provide his name when asked and continued walking after being told to stop, the officer wrote. The man was then arrested for resisting and concealing his identity.

Search and Evidence

During a search incident to arrest, the officer reported finding a small clear plastic container holding a white crystalline substance believed to be narcotics based on training and experience.

The officer also reported locating a glass pipe with a glass stem and bowl that is commonly used to ingest narcotics.

Police wrote that the suspect had placed a camouflage jacket and two other coats on the ground prior to being taken into custody. The lighter fluid initially reported stolen was not located during the search.

Store Employee Statement

According to the affidavit, a store manager told police she observed a man wearing khaki pants and carrying a camouflage coat remove three to four bottles of lighter fluid from a rack near the entrance and walk toward nearby trees.

The manager reported she attempted to follow the man but could not confirm whether the bottles were taken or thrown away. Police wrote that the manager asked the man to be trespassed from the store and valued the lighter fluid at less than $20.

Narcotics Testing and Identification

The suspected substance was later tested with a field narcotics kit that indicated the presence of methamphetamine, according to the officer’s report. The total weight of the substance was listed as less than one gram.

While the suspect was at the San Juan County Adult Detention Center, jail staff searching the coats reportedly removed a container that held a white crystalline substance and a small bag containing several used needles. Jail staff identified the suspect as Christopher Thomas using booking photographs and tattoos, according to the affidavit.

CHARGES FILED

• Resisting, evading or obstructing an officer
• Concealing identity
• Shoplifting
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine)

In an unrelated case, a Farmington restaurant dine-and-dash incident also resulted in charges filed in magistrate court, according to previously reported records.

CASE STATUS

Court records indicate the defendant was booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center. No additional court dates were listed in the document.

SOURCE

Information in this article is drawn from a Statement of Probable Cause filed in Farmington Magistrate Court. The document was submitted by the Farmington Police Department.

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