Arizona man accused of five dumpster fires as Farmington police investigate 14 cases of arson

• Daryl Levi is accused of five, fourth-degree felony counts of arson.
• The defendant is accused of destroying five dumpsters on Jan. 11 in Farmington by starting fires.
• The San Juan County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion on Jan. 22 to keep Levi in the San Juan County Adult Detention Center without bond.

FARMINGTON — An Arizona man was arrested and accused of destroying five dumpsters by setting the contents on fire as Farmington police investigate 14 fires believed to be arson.

Daryl Levi, 38, of Red Valley, Arizona, was arrested around 4 p.m. on Jan. 21 in the area of Laguna Avenue and Animas Street in Farmington, according to Farmington Police Department Spokesperson Nicole Brown.

A Farmington Fire Department Battalion Chief saw the wanted subject and contacted an officer over the radio, court documents state. The officer then took Levi into custody, Brown said. Court documents say he was carrying a gas can at the time of his arrest.

Levi is accused of five, fourth-degree felony counts of arson, according to court documents.

The defendant is accused of burning five dumpsters on Jan. 11 in Farmington, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

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Levi did not have legal representation on Jan. 22.

A Farmington Police press release issued on Jan. 21 mentioned 13 dumpster fires and a vehicle fire that happened between Dec. 17 and Jan. 11 and were being investigated as arson.

The defendant has only been charged in five of those arsons, as of the morning of Jan. 22.

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Levi is accused of lighting dumpster fires at Fifth Generation Trading at 232 W. Broadway Ave., the ARC Thrift Shop at 200 W. Broadway Ave., 100 S. Behrend Ave., the Federal Credit Union at 111 S. Miller Ave., and the Speedway gas station at 507 E. Broadway Ave.

The five dumpster fires Levi is charged with occurred between 7:28 p.m. and 9:34 p.m. on Jan. 11. The dumpsters were damaged beyond use and each cost $1,200 to replace.

When Levi was arrested on Jan. 10 in an unrelated criminal case, he made unsolicited and voluntary statements to an officer that he was going to light every dumpster in Farmington on fire, according to court documents.

Video evidence was recovered from the ARC Thrift Shop on the night of Jan. 11.

Two men were seen approaching a dumpster in the alley behind the thrift shop and the man later identified as Levi appeared to start a fire then walk away.

Levi was stopped by police several minutes later and his clothing exactly matched of the man who lit the dumpster on fire, according to court documents.

A lighter was also recovered from Levi by police.

The San Juan County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion on Jan. 22 to keep Levi in the San Juan County Adult Detention Center without bond as he awaits trial.

A hearing on the motion is set for the morning of Jan. 27 in Aztec District Court.

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The Farmington Police Department is asking anyone with information on the other nine fires to contact its tip line at 505-599-1068.

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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