A Farmington-area man arrested Feb. 11 in connection with the death of his infant son has accumulated seven additional charges while held at the San Juan County Detention Center.
John Hannon, 43, is charged with first-degree felony child abuse resulting in death and second-degree tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his son, John Teigue Hannon. The child went missing Feb. 7 from a home on County Road 3450 in Flora Vista while in his father’s care.
Hannon’s attorney, public defender Nicole Hall, filed a motion Feb. 27 requesting a competency evaluation, which District Judge Bradley L. Keeler approved.
During a March 31 hearing, Keeler informed attorneys the evaluator needed more time to complete the assessment. Hannon has remained at the San Juan County Detention Center while awaiting transfer to the state hospital.
Since late March, Hannon has been charged with five fourth-degree felony counts of battery on a peace officer and one petty misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.
The first additional charge stemmed from a March 27 incident at 2:37 p.m., when Hannon allegedly was unclothed and stuffed his jail smock into a toilet, according to an arrest affidavit.
While Detention Officer Karen Evans assisted two other officers in dressing Hannon, he allegedly pulled her hair, the affidavit said.
Another incident occurred at 2:49 p.m. March 31, when detention officers were preparing Hannon for a court appearance. Hannon reportedly “rabbit kicked” Detention Sgt. Chance Keeler in the chest six or seven times, the affidavit said.
Afterward, while Keeler escorted him to a courtroom, Hannon allegedly kicked Keeler eight or nine times in the right knee, the affidavit said. Hannon later told investigators he did not remember kicking anyone.
Hannon was charged with three counts of battery on a peace officer in connection with that incident.
Another battery charge allegedly occurred at 7:15 a.m. April 7, when Hannon “brushed his hand” against an officer’s face “in a rude, angry or insolent manner” during a transfer, according to the affidavit.
When questioned, Hannon reportedly “was yelling at (the investigator) to go home,” the affidavit said.
A criminal damage to property charge followed an April 16 incident at 3:40 p.m., when Hannon allegedly broke “a tablet by throwing it against a cell wall.” The tablet was valued at $225, according to the affidavit.
When questioned about that incident, Hannon reportedly said “he wanted an interpreter and was making incomprehensible statements,” the affidavit said.
The final battery charge occurred the next day at 10:29 p.m., when Detention Officer Dexter Roan attempted to give Hannon his medication. Hannon allegedly reached his hand through a hatch door and “appeared to grab Roan’s belt buckle,” according to the affidavit.
When questioned, Hannon reportedly said he “wanted to talk about a ‘sea captain’s hat’ that he was allegedly missing,” the affidavit said.
All of Hannon’s cases have been suspended while the court awaits the competency evaluation.
Keeler signed another order for a competency evaluation April 21 after Hannon “was unable to identify himself” during a hearing.
Court records show Hannon has a lengthy criminal history that includes escalating violence. In 2024, he faced multiple domestic-related charges, received 84 days in jail and was discharged from probation unsatisfactorily.
Hannon’s girlfriend, Krystal Phillips, the mother of his deceased son, previously filed for a domestic violence order of protection for herself and her children. The petition was ultimately denied.
Jake Thompson, a spokesman for the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, confirmed the agency has “a history of involvement with this family.”
In the child’s death case, Phillips called in a missing child report at 9:38 p.m. Feb. 8 from the Flora Vista home.
Phillips told investigators she “feared something bad had happened to her son” because Hannon took the infant for a walk Feb. 7 and later claimed he left the child in the care of a grandparent who lives in Colorado, according to the affidavit.
Hannon reportedly walked through a property off New Mexico Highway 516 while pushing a stroller that was later found in a ditch.
Deputies searching the area Feb. 9 found the 11-month-old’s head and left arm buried in dirt, with the torso and legs partially exposed. Investigators also found shoe prints matching Hannon’s in the same area.
A doctor who examined the body told detectives the infant suffered a skull fracture and an abrasion on his forehead before death. The child likely was alive when his father allegedly buried his face in the dirt, the affidavit said.
Hannon reportedly admitted to burying the child, telling investigators, “I knew he was dead.”