On a quaint street in Southeast Dallas, the Mendoza family lies through restless night after restless night, waiting for the booming knocks of a Dallas County constable issuing a 24-hour warning to pack their things and get out of the only home they’ve known since 1998. The Mendozas have been living a waking nightmare since May, when they discovered their home had been allegedly stolen in a case of deed fraud, which they say was perpetrated by the patriarch’s son, Martin Mendoza Jr., from a prior relationship.
For months, the Mendozas, led by their adult son, Cristo Mendoza, have been able to stay in their home while they endure pending litigation in a civil trial against Martin Mendoza Jr., or Junior, a real estate company that initially accepted the first deed transfer, Duke Real Estate & Asset Management and a foreign LLC now listed as the legal owner of the home, Konikoff Connection. According to the Mendozas, Junior is a career criminal who’s currently a parolee looking for an address to use.
In September, the family filed criminal charges against Junior with the county sheriff’s office. In October, the family’s lawyer filed a temporary injunction, which delayed a formal eviction until the end of the trial and secured a roof over their heads until their next court date in June 2026, when the legal proceedings are expected to resume…