A San Antonio man has been hauled off to jail after allegedly conning residents by not completing construction jobs he was paid to do. Neil Melendrez, the accused, is facing a string of theft charges, with the police believing that there might be more victims out there, as reported by FOX San Antonio.
According to the San Antonio Police Department, Melendrez was taken into custody by the department's High Reduction Task Force Unit around 5:00 p.m. yesterday. In a classic tale of a contractor gone rogue, Neil is accused of asking for a hefty $5,200 deposit to build a carport on October 2, only to leave the job unfinished and demand an additional $3,100—money that would also vanish along with his promises, as reported by FOX San Antonio.
The case escalates with further allegations emerging from a job on October 6, where Melendrez reportedly took $2,000 up front to build a patio, then proceeded to ask for two more payments of $1,300 each. But once again, the projects remained incomplete, leaving clients out of pocket and without the promised additions to their homes. It's not the first time for Melendrez—police records from 2021 show similar behavior regarding another unfinished task.
Despite the mounting accusations, Melendrez has maintained his innocence. "I'm not guilty," Melendrez said during an encounter with the KSAT Reporter John Paul Barajas. Pressed about the reason for his handcuffs, Melendrez appeared perplexed, "I don't know why all these clients are coming out with these deals about all this, that I'm stealing from them," he told KSAT. When asked to address the victims pressing charges, he offered an apology, coupled with a suggestion that they, too, had done wrong in this situation.
Ximena Alvarez, a public information officer for the SAPD, had a clear message regarding the gravity of these actions. "It's a crime once you get paid. If the victim has already paid the contractor and the work has not been done, it's already a crime because you're taking advantage of someone," Alvarez explained to KSAT.
