GRAND JUNCTION, CO — A 42-year-old man faces numerous felony charges after a reported shoplifting incident led police to discover a firearm, drugs, and stolen credit cards.
At approximately 9:40 p.m. on February 21, 2026, Grand Junction Police officers responded to a shoplifting in progress at the Target store located at 2424 Highway 6 & 50. Store asset protection personnel reported that a male suspect had stolen merchandise and fled the area in a black truck.
Officers quickly located the suspect vehicle in a nearby parking lot and initiated a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Matthew Narey, 42, was found in possession of the stolen merchandise. During a subsequent search, officers discovered a firearm that Narey is legally prohibited from possessing, along with burglary tools, suspected stolen credit cards, suspected methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Narey was arrested and booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender
- Criminal Possession of Four or More Financial Devices
- Identity Theft – Possession with Intent to Use (Four Counts)
- Unlawful Possession <4g Controlled Substance Schedule I/II
- Violation of a Protection Order
- Possession of Burglary Tools
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Theft – Less than $300 (Shoplifting)
The Grand Junction Police Department credited the timely reporting by store staff for the swift arrest.