Fruitland man faces 18 felony charges after stolen car crash

A Fruitland man was arrested after a December crash in La Plata County and now faces 18 felony counts and one misdemeanor in connection with a string of thefts and break-ins in Farmington. Authorities say the case ties a stolen 2019 black Lexus to multiple vehicle burglaries, unauthorized card use and a nonresidential break-in that inflicted thousands of dollars in losses.

Fidel Curtis, 26, was booked at the La Plata County Jail at 6:26 p.m. on Dec. 26 after crashing the Lexus. A Farmington arrest warrant followed. The affidavit in the case says Curtis told investigators he was “going too fast around a curve, lost control, and rolled the vehicle six to eight times,” and later told Farmington police, “I can’t believe I’m still alive.”

Charging documents list a third-degree felony larceny, three counts of burglary of a vehicle, one count of criminal solicitation to commit nonresidential burglary, two counts of unauthorized use of a card, five counts of unlawful use of an ATM or debit card, four counts of theft of a credit card, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, plus a single misdemeanor.

Investigators say Curtis allegedly entered unlocked vehicles and, when keys were not present, removed smaller items and wallets. One stolen credit card was reportedly found outside Inzio’s after an alleged break-in in which the suspect lifted “the gate” and removed “several items of merchandise.” Inzio’s manager told police that “several thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and property was stolen” and damaged. Video evidence linked a man wearing a “black sweatshirt, black sweatpants and carrying an orange bag” to the store incident, and detectives say the same clothing appears in footage of the suspect entering the Lexus.

Detective Robyn Roe identified Curtis through that video evidence and interviewed him at the La Plata County Jail. The affidavit states Curtis admitted to using meth, calling it “his drug of choice,” and acknowledged taking the Lexus and using the stolen debit and credit cards to make purchases at locations including Animas Valley Mall, Burger King, Marathon and Foot Locker.

For San Juan County residents, the case underscores persistent vulnerabilities: unlocked vehicles, accessible wallets left inside cars, and the cascading cost to small businesses when property and inventory are taken or damaged. Local merchants and cardholders may face out-of-pocket losses, time-consuming fraud disputes and a heightened sense of risk in public spaces.

The takeaway? Lock doors, remove valuables, and check account activity promptly. If you find unfamiliar charges or see suspicious behavior around your vehicle or storefront, report it to police immediately so investigators can connect the dots before more residents are victimized. Our two cents? Small precautions and quick reporting help keep our neighborhoods safer and save neighbors the hassle of recovering losses.