FORNEY, Texas — A Forney man was arrested earlier today after violating a protective order, burglarizing a residence, and barricading himself inside the home — which resulted in a brief lock-out of an area elementary school during the duration of the incident.
On Friday, March 5, 2021, at approximately 12:35 p.m., the Forney Police Department responded to a possible burglary or criminal trespass call in the 2000 block of Pecan Ridge Drive.
There, police say, the complainant advised her alarms were going off at her residence.
"Investigation revealed that the person suspected of being in the residence had a protective order prohibiting his presence," read a statement from the Forney Police Department.
Upon arrival of police officers, the man, later identified by police as John Schmeltz of Forney, Texas, barricaded himself inside the residence and refused to exit.
As a precaution, nearby Crosby Elementary was placed on a lock-out during the incident.
"Members of the Forney Police Department were able to establish communication with the suspect," stated the department. "After some time, the suspect exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident."
Schmeltz was arrested and charged with violation of a protective order, a class A misdemeanor.
"We appreciate the public’s cooperation of avoiding the area while we worked to provide a peaceful and safe resolution," stated the department. "We also appreciate the assistance of the Forney ISD Police Department in this incident."
