A Hopkins County Grand Jury during the regular June 2022 session signed 18 indictments, pushing those cases forward for prosecution. Ten people were named in the charges, including five people accused of two or more more offenses. Charges ranged from controlled substance and stolen vehicle offenses to burglary of habitation, escape and continuous sexual abuse of a child offenses.
Mauro Lopez‐Perez was indicted for continuous sexual abuse of a child victim under 14 years of age. The 35-year-old Pickton man has remained in Hopkins County jail since his arrest on a warrant for an indecency with a child by exposure charge on April 22. HCSO officers tracked him to his place of employment in Franklin County using the GPS monitoring system placed on Lopez-Perez when he was released from custody on $50,000 bond on an injury to a child charge, sheriff’s officers noted in April. In addition to Mauro Lopez, the Pickton man also noted in jail reports to be known by Mauro Lopez-Lopez and Mauro Perez, is held in lieu of a $1 million bond on the indecency charge, according to jail reports.
Melton Medina‐Tuirubiates was indicted on three charges: escape while arrested or confined and two counts of burglary of a habitation. He is accused of escaping from Sulphur Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant Monday morning, April 18, 2022, while on a work detail as a jail trusty.
Despite efforts of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, he was not located and back in custody until lunch time the next day. The two burglary charges are alleged to have occurred while Medina-Tuirubiates eluded authorities April 18-19, 2022.
He was believed to have spent the night in a deer camp on FM 69, as law enforcement canines tracked him to the area where officials found the camp broken into and items missing from inside. The K-9s then tracked to a residence on the corner of FM 69, north of the I-30 feeder road. That residence too was alleged to have been broken into and items were reported to have been stolen from inside. When apprehended at 12:30 p.m. April 19, 2022, Medina-Tuirubiates was alleged to have on him items taken during the burglaries.
Thus, the 49-year-old was returned to jail on escape and two burglary charges, according to arrest and law enforcement reports following Medina-Tuirubiate’s apprehension. Medina-Tuirubiates, who is also known by Meo Medina-Tuirubiates, Mell and Mello, was in jail at the time of his escape
Jacob Tomeis Lyda was indicted on four charges: one count each of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and unauthorized use of a vehicle, and two counts of burglary of a habitation. On April 19, 2022, Lyda was reportedly heard starting another man’s side-by-side vehicle around 3:45 p.m., then was seen by the owner driving it through the woods toward oil fields in the area of F 3505. Deputies were alerted and followed tracks believed to be those made by the utility terrain vehicle through pastures and rough terrain impassable for most motor vehicles.
Deputies found and followed a track near Cooper Lake State Park South Sulphur Unit, where someone reported seeing the suspect. He was found driving the UTV behind the restrooms in Herron Harbor area of the park. Deputies pursued the man, who continued fleeing despite authorities’ orders for him to stop. He drove into terrain impassable to patrol units. The side-by-side was found wrecked in a creek bed a short while later. Deputies followed footprints leading out of the creek.
A report of a man entering a CR 4722 residence without permission and taking summer sausage, scaring the child at the residence, then fled with the tube meat. Deputies again attempted to track the man. Soon another homeowner reported finding the man, dubbed the sausage bandit by at least one pursuer. Deputies spotted and pursued the man on foot and by UTV. He was reportedly holding an open knife and summer sausage when they caught up to him, but dropped both.
The 31-year-old Linden man was jailed on two burglary of habitation charges as well as one charge each of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and theft of property (the side-by-side, deputies and a Texas Ranger reported following Lyda’s arrest. His bonds totaled $160,000 – $50,000 on the burglary charges, and $30,000 each on the theft and evading charges.
He also was charged on an outstanding Louisiana warrant for violating probation, which he was on for a simple theft. Lyda has remained in Hopkins County jail since his arrest April 19, 2022, on all charges, according to jail records.
Kenneth Wayne Shaw was indicted for intentional or reckless assault that impeded breathing or circulation of a family member with previous conviction. The 57-year-old was arrested March 1, 2022, for allegedly choking his nephew multiple times, impeding the nephew’s breathing.
The arrest marked at least the fourth time Shaw was jailed locally on charges alleging violent offenses. He was booked into Hopkins County jail Oct. 24, 1994 on an assault causing bodily injury charge; March 22, 2007, on a family violence assault causing bodily injury charge; Aug. 12, 2016 on a injury to a child elderly or disabled person charge; and April 21, 2022 on an assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing or circulation charge, according to jail records.
Kayleigh Dawn Mills was indicted for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair. She was in a car stopped by deputies. She claimed to not have an ID card, but a plastic card was visible in her pocket. she claimed it was her mom’s debit card, which she had permission to use. Another deputy IDed her as Kayleigh Mills. A look at the card showed that name as well. Mills, who is also known by Kay Kay, was booked into the county jail early April 14, 2022, deputies noted in April arrest reports. She has remained in Hopkins County jail every sense in lieu of $20,000 bond: $15,000 on the tampering charge and $5,000 on a failure to ID charge, according to jail reports.
Sharlyne Kay Vining was indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle. She has remained in Hopkins County jail since her arrest on March 31, 2022, on the UUV charge as well as failure to identify and a warrant for failure to appear on a Palo Pinto County resisting, arrest, search or transport warrant.
She was reportedly stopped on North Hillcrest Drive by police. The truck she was driving came back as having been reported to Sulphur Springs Police as stolen less than an hour. The 30-year-old Decatur woman has remained in jail since. Herd bonds totaled $7,000: $5,000 on the stolen vehicle charge and $2,000 on the failure to ID charge, according to jail reports.
Aaron Ray Kiser, Patricia Lynn Pemberton and Patrick Adrian Wardell were indicted on two counts each of possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. The trio was arrested on State Highway 19 on April 7, 2022 after deputies reported finding almost 2.5 grams of methamphetamine and 1.2 grams of heroin in the vehicle they were in, according to April arrest reports.
Victor Hugo Torres was indicted on one possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. The 57-year-old San Antonio man was arrested on warrants during an I-30 traffic stop. A police K-9 alerted on the car. Drug paraphernalia was found in the car. A coin pouch with suspected methamphetamine in it was reportedly on the floor of the transporting deputy’s patrol unit. Torres allegedly admitted the meth belonged to him and booked into jail after midnight for possessing the 3.6 grams of suspected meth and two Bexar County warrants.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
