Man Arrested in Connection to Slaying of Missing Dallas ISD Teacher’s Assistant

A man was taken into custody on Wednesday by Mesquite police in connection to the homicide of a missing Dallas ISD teacher’s assistant, according to authorities.

The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Sixto Banegas Matute from Balch Springs, has been arrested on a murder charge. This arrest comes after the discovery of the remains of 24-year-old Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga, the missing teacher’s assistant, found approximately a mile away from the location where her abandoned car was located.

Following his arrest, Banegas was booked into the Mesquite jail, where his bail has been set at $1 million. Online records do not indicate whether he has legal representation at this time.

The investigation began on October 12, when Mesquite police responded to the discovery of human remains in the vicinity of Interstate 20 and Lawson Road. Seagoville police had contacted authorities after finding the remains within the boundaries of Mesquite while conducting a search in a wooded area.

Following examination by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office, the remains were confirmed to be those of Jennifer Mendez, and her death was ruled a homicide by Mesquite police.

Through an extensive investigation, detectives were able to identify Sixto Banegas as a suspect, leading to his subsequent arrest.

As of now, Mesquite police have not disclosed the cause of Jennifer Mendez’s death or provided any additional details regarding their ongoing investigation. It remains unclear what evidence led to the identification of Banegas as a suspect.

Jennifer Mendez had been reported missing for over two weeks. Her family members filed a missing-persons report with Dallas police on September 28 but were redirected to the Seagoville department after it was discovered that she was last seen there.

According to Seagoville police, a friend of Mendez received text messages that indicated possible foul play. The family members, who saw the messages, shared with KXAS-TV (NBC5) that they were told, “You’ll never find her. She’s gone.”

NBC5 reported that the origin of the messages could not be traced.

Jennifer Mendez, a teacher’s assistant employed by Dallas ISD, did not report to work, and her sudden disappearance was uncharacteristic, as stated by her family members.

Her family discovered her abandoned car near the intersection of Lawson and Milam roads in Mesquite.

The investigation into this case remains ongoing.