POLK COUNTY, TX — What began as a burglary-in-progress call quickly turned into a trail of stolen property, a stolen log truck, and an unexpected arrest inside a stranger’s home.
On February 6, 2026, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a burglary in progress, with the homeowner actively pursuing the suspect on foot. The suspect managed to escape, but not without leaving behind stolen items later determined to belong to another residence.
Deputies followed that lead and discovered a second home had also been burglarized. As the investigation unfolded, authorities learned a log truck had been stolen from yet another nearby property. The truck was later found abandoned a short distance away. Investigators say a firearm was also taken from inside the vehicle during the theft.
While detectives were still working the string of burglaries, dispatch received a 911 call from a nearby resident reporting an unknown man asleep inside his house. When deputies responded, they identified the man as the same suspect connected to the earlier crimes.
The suspect, identified as John Ernest Mendez Jr., was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of Criminal Trespass of Habitation, Resisting Arrest, and Failure to Identify as a Fugitive by Giving False Information.
Detectives later secured additional warrants charging Mendez with Burglary of Habitation, Burglary of a Building, four counts of Burglary of a Vehicle, Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon by a Felon, Theft of a Firearm, and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle.
