Mesa Father Accused of Using 10-Year-Old Son in Arts Center Burglary

A 31-year-old Mesa man is facing eight criminal charges after police say he forced his way into the Mesa Contemporary Arts building with his 10-year-old son and made off with jewelry, a Bluetooth speaker, and a cactus belonging to the city. Jean Zintz was booked into Maricopa County jail on three counts of burglary, three counts of theft, one count of criminal damage, and one count of contributing to the delinquency and dependency of a minor.

According to KTAR News 92.3 FM, Mesa police say Zintz forced open a locked door at the arts center on August 19 and, along with his son, made off with property valued at approximately $7,350. The pair allegedly fled once Zintz realized officers had arrived at the museum, but they later returned to the property to retrieve a water bottle Zintz had left behind — a move that, per police, helped tie him to the scene.

Court documents cited by 12News lay out a specific division of the alleged haul: the 10-year-old is accused of taking around $7,350 in jewelry from the museum, while Zintz is accused of stealing a Bluetooth speaker valued at more than $150 and a totem pole cactus belonging to the City of Mesa. Police say Zintz damaged the museum's entry door to get inside in the first place, and he was later booked on the criminal damage count in connection with that forced entry.

Traffic Stop Uncovers a Planned Flight Out of State

Officers pulled over Zintz's car after the burglary, and he admitted to the crime, per police. According to police, Zintz had a flight to Washington scheduled for later that day and planned to take the stolen items with him — a detail that FOX 10 Phoenix reports investigators uncovered as they built the case beyond the initial stop. Detectives later executed a search warrant at a location where Zintz and his son had been temporarily staying, recovering the stolen property along with clothing believed to have been worn during the break-in, the station notes.

Authorities recovered the stolen property, and Zintz was remanded to Maricopa County custody on a $40,000 bond. FOX 10 Phoenix reports that court records released during the proceedings show Zintz has prior convictions for criminal trespass, theft, stalking, and obstructing law enforcement — a history that speaks to the pattern police allege continued at the arts center. It remains unclear from available reporting where the 10-year-old is currently in the custody process or whether juvenile delinquency petitions will be filed against him.

What Arizona Law Says About the Charges

Zintz's three burglary counts stem from Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1506, which makes entering or remaining unlawfully in a nonresidential structure with intent to commit theft or a felony a Class 4 felony, according to FindLaw. A Class 4 felony carries a presumptive prison sentence of 1.5 to 3 years for first-time offenders, though Zintz's prior record could factor into any eventual sentencing. The single misdemeanor count tied to his son falls under A.R.S. § 13-3613, which makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for an adult to cause, encourage, or contribute to the delinquency or dependency of a child — defined in Arizona law as any act tending to debase or injure a child's morals, health, or welfare.

A High-Profile Break-In at a Major Civic Landmark

The break-in struck at one of downtown Mesa's most prominent public assets. The Mesa Arts Center is a $95 million, 210,000-square-foot city-owned complex spanning seven acres, making it the largest comprehensive visual and performing arts facility in Arizona, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. The Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum inside the complex, where the break-in allegedly occurred, features five galleries spanning 5,500 square feet dedicated to contemporary art and craft, per Frontdoors Media, which notes the museum hosts more than 10 exhibitions annually. Hoodline has previously covered public gatherings at the same civic complex, including Mayor Giles' holiday variety show and the annual Dia de los Muertos festival held across its campus.

Despite the high-profile nature of the alleged break-in, city data suggests Mesa remains comparatively safe on property crime overall. Municipal figures published by the City of Mesa Data Hub show a property crime rate of 14.65 per 1,000 residents in 2024, ranking Mesa among the lowest in property crime among U.S. cities with populations between 500,000 and 650,000. A separate national analysis of FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from Security.org identified Mesa as one of five major U.S. cities with total crime rates significantly below the national average, among the 50 most populous cities examined. The arts center case follows other recent Mesa Police Department property crime cases, including one detailed in Hoodline's earlier report on an alleged catalytic converter thief.