San Juan County man accused of destroying $25,000 in hospital equipment

• The defendant is accused of a fourth-degree felony count of criminal damage to property and a petty misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, according to the criminal complaint.
• Currin was arrested and booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center.
• His arrest warrant was active on the afternoon of Sept. 7, according to court records.

FARMINGTON — A San Juan County man is accused of damaging about $25,000 in equipment at a Farmington hospital and is wanted by law enforcement for failing to appear Sept. 2 at his preliminary hearing.

Richard Currin, 34, allegedly destroyed computers and telephone equipment at San Juan Regional Medical Center on Aug 11, according to court documents.

The defendant is accused of a fourth-degree felony count of criminal damage to property and a petty misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, according to the criminal complaint.

Ruth Wheeler, Currin's attorney, declined to comment on the case.

Farmington Police Department officers were dispatched around 10:09 p.m. on Aug. 11 to San Juan Regional Medicial Center at 801 W. Maple St. on reports of a combative patient.

When police arrived, multiple security guards and nurses were standing around Currin, who was sitting on the ground. He was shouting angrily at the staff.

An officer was able to place handcuffs on Currin with the assistance of other officers at the scene.

He allegedly continued to yell his answers to questions asked by officers then became more combative when nurses brought over a wheelchair to move him.

Nurses told an officer that, before law enforcement arrived, they tried to get Currin into a hospital bed when he became combative and started to yell, kicking a bed toward security guards.

Currin then allegedly went over to the nurse's station and pushed four computers and a telephone system to the floor.

An employee estimated each computer cost about $6,000 and the telephone to cost about $1,000 for a total of about $25,000.

Currin was arrested and booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center.

He was released on his own recognizance from the county jail on Aug. 13. Currin failed to appear at his Sept. 2 preliminary hearing in Farmington Magistrate Court.

His arrest warrant was active on the afternoon of Sept. 7, according to court records.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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