FARMINGTON – Three men have been arrested and charged on suspicion of breaking and entering Three Rivers Tap Room, causing up to $15,000 in damages.
A tenant in an apartment above Three Rivers called 911 to report hearing what sounded like a break-in and thought it might be happening at her apartment. When officers arrived at 12:33 a.m. Monday, they saw a window was broken at the Three Rivers Tap Room and could hear people inside, said Farmington Police Department spokeswoman Nicole Brown.
Officers searched the building and found and arrested three men.
Tyrique Yazzie was charged with breaking and entering, commercial burglary, criminal damage to property and possession of a controlled substance; Iesah Yazzie was charged with breaking and entering, commercial burglary, criminal damage to property, possession of burglary tools and possession of a controlled substance; and Felix Martinez was charged with breaking and entering, commercial burglary and criminal damage to property, Brown said.
Owner John Silva said the men ransacked the office, ripped plants out of pots, ripped antique mirrors off the walls and broke pool cues. One of the men cut up a log book and then cut himself and bled on the book, Silva said.
Silva said this isn’t the first time he’s dealt with a break-in or vandalism at his Main Street location and feels like more police presence might help deter criminal activity, especially at night.
“The element of darkness just invites criminals,” Silva said. “Good people sleep at night, bad people like to be up like little rats.”
Silva said every business downtown needs to “keep an eye on each other.”
“You know, I just came through a year of COVID,” Silva said. “I have lost so much money. ... I am holding on by a shoestring to try to get enough capital to open the rest of my establishment (the pizzeria) and then this happens.”
Silva said he has insurance but that his deductible is at least a third of the cost of damages.
mmitchell@durangoherald.com
