East Texas Burglar Arrested After Sleeping in Victim’s Home

(KNUE-FM) There was a man in East Texas arrested last week after a series of burglaries, but the crime spree made him sleepy. He fell asleep in a stranger’s house, and that’s how law enforcement caught him. While the situation sounds funny at first, but the thought of someone breaking into your home is serious.

What Happened in Polk County

The details came from CBS 19 as the Polk County Sheriff’s Office first received a report of a burglary in progress last Friday. The homeowner found the suspect in his home and chased him, although he was able to run away.

While running from the first burglary, the suspect dropped items from another residence. That is when deputies found that home was burglarized as well. Law enforcement then learned that a log truck had been stolen from a nearby residence, and the suspect abandoned that vehicle just a short distance down the road. There was a firearm also stolen from the log truck.

How the Suspect Was Caught

While investigating all of these crimes, another call was made to the sheriff’s office from a resident about a man who fell asleep in his home. Detectives arrived and found that the man asleep in the home was responsible for the burglaries.

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Charges and Warrants Filed

That is when John Earnest Mendez Jr was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail. His charges include Criminal Trespass of Habitation, Resisting Arrest, and Failing to ID or giving false information.

There are more charges coming from all the crimes that took place. We are thankful to report that no law enforcement officers were injured while capturing the suspect.