A man was arrested Saturday after breaking into Denton City Hall in Denton, Texas, and “causing extreme damage to the City Manager’s Office,” that included urine and feces, according to police.
Denton police identified the suspect as 48-year-old David Lopez. He was arrested for Criminal Mischief with a loss greater than $2,500 and less than $30,000. He was also charged with Criminal Trespass for entering or remaining in a building after its closure without consent.
Lopez allegedly kicked a glass City Hall entry door numerous times and gained entry to the facility before officers arrived around 10:07 a.m. for a burglary-in-progress dispatch. A city employee reported the incident.
They described Lopez as a “shirtless male” who began causing a loud disturbance. Upon arrival, officers could see items being thrown into a hallway and could hear crashing and banging noises.
“The suspect instead barricaded himself inside the offices and refused to respond to officers’ repeated attempts to speak with him,” said police. “After approximately an hour, the Little Elm and Hickory Creek police departments arrived on scene with their search K-9s to assist in locating the suspect inside the building.”
Once Lopez was detained, officers found the city manager’s office in a state of “total destruction,” that included: urine and fecal matter inside of the office, various broken electronics, shattered glass, an overturned and destroyed desk, damaged walls, and shattered sentimental personal items. Several other offices were also impacted and physical damages to the offices are estimated at around $10,000 in losses.
Authorities also discovered that Lopez “had already been criminally trespassed from this location in October 2020,” said the Denton Police Department. This time, he was booked into the City of Denton jail without incident.
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