Man arrested, charged with bomb hoax at Fort Worth Dia de los Muertos festival
A man accused of perpetrating a bomb hoax near Sundance Square during a festival earlier this month has been arrested, according to online jail records.
Antonio Mendez, 25, of Arlington, faces charges of terrorism, hoax bombs and terroristic threat impeding public service, according to online records.
The Fort Worth Fire Department’s bomb squad and police officers responded to the threat just after 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 near the downtown Sinclair Hotel, at 512 Main St., according to a police incident report.
At the time, a Dia de los Muertos festival was taking place in the area.
Police recovered components of the hoax device, which included a copy of the Quran, one labeled and one unlabeled pill bottle, red and black copper wire, and electrical tape, according to an evidence report.
Also recovered were two notebooks, superglue, a USPS package and other miscellaneous items, according to the report.
Mendez’s bond has been set at $1.1 million, according to Tarrant County Jail records. It’s unclear whether he has a defense attorney in the case.
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM.
