Farmington man charged after motel fire causes $3,000 damage

A fire in a room at the Encore Motel on East Main Street left $3,000 in damage and raised the risk of harm to other guests and nearby businesses before investigators said a Farmington man was charged with arson. Kelly Janssen, 43, was charged with felony arson and felony possession of a controlled substance after the May 30 blaze at 1900 East Main Street.

Court records say Janssen contacted police four times in less than 24 hours before the fire call came in. The first call was made May 29 from the Roadway Inn, where Janssen reportedly said people were trying to kill him. He later told officers that two people were trying to break into his room, then called again from Wendy’s and said people were screaming at him and threatening to kill him. In a later call from Arby’s, he reportedly said, “They’re getting closer.”

According to the statement of probable cause, Janssen later told police he started the fire because someone was trying to get into his room and trying to kill him. When officers arrived at the Encore Motel, he appeared to be having trouble breathing from smoke inhalation and was taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police said they found burned sheets and significant smoke and fire damage in the room, but no evidence to support Janssen’s claims about people trying to break in.

After he was cleared from the hospital, Janssen allegedly resisted arrest because he did not feel safe at the jail. During booking, officers reportedly found methamphetamine in his left front pocket and three glass pipes in his backpack, which led to the separate felony drug charge.

The case now moves into court, where a preliminary examination is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 10, 2026, in Farmington Magistrate Court. For a motel on a busy Farmington corridor, the fire underscored how quickly a single room incident can become a public-safety threat when smoke, flames, and drug-related behavior collide in a shared space.