Within only weeks of his release from prison (and while on parole) for Aggravated Assault, Gregory Mendez, out of nowhere punched an 11-year-old who was visiting another child at his home. Mendez' mother tried to stop him, and he assaulted her as well. Other family members tried to intervene, and Mendez pulled a knife and threatened them, then fled on foot. Pleasanton Police Department arrived and began searching for Mendez. When he was found hiding behind a shed, instead of surrendering to officers, he charged Pleasanton PD Officer Bernal with a hammer. Officer Bernal tased Mendez, but it was ineffective. Officer Bernal then shot Mendez, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Mendez is a repeat offender and pled guilty to a cap of 35 years in prison on the Aggravated Assault and open to the court on the Injury to a Child, which was enhanced because of his prior conviction to a second degree felony with a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in prison. 81st Judicial District Judge Dillingham, after hearing all the evidence, sentenced Mendez to 32 years for the Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant and 20 years for the Injury to a Child (the maximum under the law).
We are grateful for the response of all the officers, in particular Officer Bernal for taking this dangerous individual off our streets. Thank you to Assistant District Attorney Ryan Wright for ensuring our community is protected by aggressively prosecuting this case. Mendez is eligible for parole once half of his sentence is served. Given Mendez' conduct after being granted parole only weeks earlier and his prior criminal history, we are hopeful the parole board will keep Mendez behind bars where he belongs for his full sentence!
