Carolyn Mendiola, superintendent of the Mercedes, Texas Independent School District, was arrested on Friday for “interfering with public duties”:
Mercedes ISD superintendent arrested for interfering with public duties https://t.co/T1aiyxVPTC
— Local23News (@kveotv23) June 5, 2022
Sergeant Frank Sanchez of the Mercedes Police Department told NBC 23 that Mendiola interfered “while investigators were trying to conduct an investigation”:
“She was served today with an arrest warrant for interfering with public duties, investigators worked up several cases where they felt that they weren’t getting the cooperation from the superintendent,” said Sanchez. “And of course, she did interfere while investigators were trying to conduct an investigation.”
Sanchez explained the warrant was signed by an Alamo judge but did not disclose why.
“Because of certain details of the case we had to go with another judge and the reason she was arraigned in the city of Alamo is because the judge who signed off on that warrant is from the city of Alamo,” said Sanchez.
Her arrest was captured in this video shared to TikTok:
@jaimelarosada956 @cbsnews @krgvnews #children #hidalgocounty #alamotx956 #rgv956 #schools ♬ original sound – La Rosada 956
Now, it’s not clear why she was arrested but the district has been in the news of late, and not in a good way. . .
The Monitor’s @TheMattTWilson reports it was not made immediately clear what Mercedes ISD Superintendent Carolyn Mendiola had been charged with or why she was arraigned in Alamo, though a number of district employees have been arrested recently on a variety of charges. https://t.co/ggooYYpHrb
— Trevier Gonzalez (@Sevenrevier) June 3, 2022
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Frank Omar Fuentes, an educator in the district, “was arrested on two counts of indecency with a child, sexual contact” in May:
#RGV A 53-year-old educator at Mercedes ISD was arrested on two counts of indecency with a child, sexual contact. https://t.co/nbrc0TbSl6
— Sydney Hernández (@SydneyHdzTV) May 20, 2022
And Edgar Aaron Estrada Jr., a 22-year-old security guard in the district, was arrested last week for phoning in a threat to his own school:
#RGV Last week we told you about a bomb threat made at a Mercedes ISD school.
Now, we're learning it was the school's own security guard who made the threat.
The 22-year-old is now in jail. https://t.co/rXwFNd9KLQ
— Sydney Hernández (@SydneyHdzTV) June 1, 2022
This genius is who they hired to protect kids?! From NBC 23:
Police learned that the threat was made through the communication radio frequency that administrators and security officers use for their radio. A “robotic” voice delivered a bomb threat over the radio.
And last year, David Bryan Reyes, a former coach in the district, was arrested for having “an improper relationship with a student”:
#RGV A Mercedes ISD coach has been arrested for having an improper relationship with a student. https://t.co/Vgvh0h9ZI8 #mercedes #mercedesisd
— Sydney Hernández (@SydneyHdzTV) April 7, 2021
Another video from that same TikTok account accused Mendiola of not reporting abuse cases in the district to the police:
<blockquote class=”tiktok-embed” cite=”https://www.tiktok.com/@jaimelarosada956/video/7105411937822854443″ data-video-id=”7105411937822854443″ style=”max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;” > <section> <a target=”_blank” title=”@jaimelarosada956″ href=”https://www.tiktok.com/@jaimelarosada956″>@jaimelarosada956</a> I don't regret my arrest justice for Mercedes ISD students @cbsnews @krgvnews <a title=”weslacotx956″ target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weslacotx956″>#weslacotx956</a> <a title=”hidalgocounty” target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hidalgocounty”>#hidalgocounty</a> <a title=”mercedestx956″ target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/mercedestx956″>#mercedestx956</a> <a title=”rgv956″ target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/rgv956″>#rgv956</a> <a title=”children” target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/children”>#children</a> <a title=”schools” target=”_blank” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/tag/schools”>#schools</a> <a target=”_blank” title=”♬ Original Sound – Unknown” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/music/Original-Sound-7105411890993662766″>♬ Original Sound – Unknown</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src=”https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js”></script>
The district’s Board of Trustees will reportedly meet this Thursday to “discuss her employment with the district”:
Mendiola has been booked in the Hidalgo County Jail on a charge of interference with public duties. Trustees will meet Thursday to discuss her employment with the district. @monitornews https://t.co/GBQ4MmKskN pic.twitter.com/50tJDF273W
— Matthew T. Wilson (@TheMattTWilson) June 3, 2022
We’ll keep you posted.
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