The Curious Case Of The Walmart Syringes

OCTOBER 24--A customer who claimed that he was stabbed by a pair of syringes taped to the side of a toilet in the bathroom of a Walmart in New Mexico told cops that the stall had just been used by a suspect wearing a t-shirt with a “demonic symbol on it.”

The purported incident last month is detailed in reports prepared by the Farmington Police Department, which has been unable to confirm an account provided to them by Jason Rothe, a 51-year-old Colorado resident.

After a long wait to use the bathroom, Rothe told cops, a male exited a stall and he “went in right after.” According to a police report, Rothe “told us he immediately sat down on the toilet and felt the syringes against his skin,” though he “was unsure if the syringes actually drew blood.”

Rothe said that the prior stall occupant was “a Hispanic or Native American male wearing a black t-shirt which had a 'demonic symbol' on it.”

After reportedly sitting on the syringes--which contained a pink fluid--Rothe, of course, took a picture of the sharps, which were affixed to the bowl with white medical tape. The photo, seen at right, was released by police.

“Mr. Rothe said Walmart staff did not appear to care about the situation,” investigators reported.

A police review of store surveillance footage has not identified any suspects. A preliminary test on the syringe contents returned inconclusive results. Further testing will be conducted at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s forensics lab.

The current case status is “Inactive,” a report shows.

In an interview this week with the Tri-City Record, Rothe--who spoke on the condition of anonymity--said that he was not sure police believed his story. Adding that he no longer uses public restrooms, Rothe said, “Pay attention to your surroundings, people. There’s demons out there everywhere.”

Reached on his cellphone today, Rothe was no longer in the mood to talk about syringes and looming demonic threats. “I don’t want to put it in the news,” he said, adding that if his name appeared in print, “I’ll get a lawyer.”

Police reports do not indicate why Rothe was in Farmington, which is about 300 miles from his listed residence in Pueblo West. The 1.5 acre Colorado property was put up for sale earlier this month for $498,000. “This is only for sale because of an unexpected military transfer requirement,” the listing notes. “Help out a military man and bring us an offer.” Rothe’s Facebook page includes photos of him in an Army uniform and aboard a Blackhawk helicopter. (4 pages)