Farmington Man Accused of Bringing Machete to Movie Theater Held Without Bond

Eric Lacy, 42, was arrested Feb. 27 at the Animas 10 movie theater in Animas Valley Mall and is being held without bond at the San Juan County Detention Center, court records state. Authorities allege Lacy sneaked into the showing of the film GOAT, threw a beverage at the screen causing $5,240 in damage, then brandished a machete and threatened patrons, telling moviegoers, "I can make all of you scream."

The statement of probable cause notes theater surveillance video captured images of a person with a machete, a fact Lacy denied, court records state. Witness accounts and the video prompted a lockdown at the Animas Valley Mall and nearby schools the night of Feb. 27, and Farmington officers arrested Lacy at the mall. Investigators also allege Lacy caused roughly $3,000 in damage to the mall men’s restroom by breaking a mirror and damaging marble surfaces.

The probable cause summary ties the theater arrest to an earlier sequence of events. Police arrested Lacy Feb. 25 on a warrant connected to an alleged Feb. 17 break-in at an apartment in the 100 block of Apache Street, and officers reported finding meth in his possession at that time. Lacy was released into Pretrial Services Feb. 26 and then located at the Animas 10 the following day, according to court records.

Lacy faces multiple alleged charges in the filing, including fourth-degree felony criminal damage to property, fourth-degree felony breaking and entering, fourth-degree felony possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor counts for fraud, disorderly conduct and carrying a deadly weapon, as summarized in the statement of probable cause. He remains detained ahead of a conditions-of-release hearing scheduled March 4 in Farmington Magistrate Court.

Court documents and local filings describe a lengthy prior arrest history for Lacy. Reported past matters include a prior aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge that in 2014 ended in a directed verdict and an arson charge from June 2024 that was dismissed, along with earlier breaking-and-entering and weapon-related allegations. The Feb. 25 arrest report is the only one in the current filing that mentions discovery of meth.

Evidence listed in the probable cause statement includes theater surveillance images, damage estimates totaling $8,240 in property losses at the theater and mall, and the Feb. 25 report of controlled-substance possession. A Farmington magistrate judge will review conditions of release at the March 4 hearing as the court determines how to proceed on the allegations.