Criminal Sexual Penetration Charge Filed in Farmington

A second-degree felony charge of criminal sexual penetration has been filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court following a Farmington Police Department investigation into an incident reported on Feb. 20, 2026. The charge stems from allegations involving a 17-year-old victim at a residence on North Dustin Avenue.

Details of the Investigation

According to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed on Feb. 24, officers were dispatched to the residence in reference to a sexual assault report. Investigators learned that a group had been socialized at the home prior to the alleged incident. A witness reported that the defendant, Brandon Tache, remained in a bedroom after other guests left to obtain food. The victim told police she was on a bed when the suspect closed the door and initiated a sexual assault that lasted several minutes.

Court records indicate the victim informed family members of the assault later that morning after returning from school. A medical examination was subsequently scheduled at San Juan Regional Medical Center. During the follow-up investigation, a witness informed detectives that when the suspect was later confronted via telephone, he made statements questioning the victim’s lack of resistance during the encounter. Detectives also noted the suspect allegedly told family members he intended to leave the area to start a new life.

Charges Filed

• Criminal sexual penetration in the 2nd degree (force or coercion, child 13 to 18) – 2nd Degree Felony

Case Status

An arrest warrant was approved on Feb. 24, 2026, and the suspect, Brandon Tache, was subsequently taken into custody and booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center at 12:01 AM on Feb. 25, 2026.

The filing follows a separate Farmington case involving a woman charged in a teen sex offense investigation, according to court records in San Juan County.

Source

Information for this report was obtained from an Affidavit for Arrest Warrant filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court. The document was authored by a detective with the Farmington Police Department.

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