Ezequiel Mejia-Diaz

Ezequiel Mejia-Diaz was born in Mexico and came to the United States around the age of twenty. A Polk County Sheriff's Deputy told Chris Hansen that Mejia had previously been arrested for battery, although the details were not further explained.

On October 6, 2024, at approximately 9:00pm, Ezequiel Mejia-Diaz arrived at the sting house and was immediately taken to the ground in the driveway by police. He was led to a bedroom upstairs and interviewed by detectives, with the assistance of a translator. After that interview, he was led back downstairs where Chris Hansen was waiting.

Chris Hansen began by telling Mejia to take a seat, but in Spanish. Chris asked Mejia if he was a citizen and what country he was from, all in Spanish. Although Chris believed that Mejia could speak English well, and Chris was conversational in Spanish, the translator used earlier also assisted in this interview. Chris believed that Mejia simply wanted to make the conversation difficult by refusing to speak English.

Mejia protested once the translator arrived that he did not want to be filmed, but Chris informed him that he did not have a choice in the matter. Chris began asking more questions, but Mejia refused to answer because he had already talked to the detectives. He did, however, state that he had made a mistake, was simply curious, and would never do it again. Mejia again requested not to be filmed, claiming that it was his right. Chris informed him that he did not have a right to not be filmed in a place where he does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Mejia denied knowing that the decoy was fourteen-years-old, instead insisting that she was nineteen.

Mejia kept repeating after each that he refused to answer questions and refused to be recorded. This went on for several minutes, Mejia refusing to answer each question. However, he did say that if the situation was not a sting, he would have gone home after arriving. Mejia answered no other questions.

No Valid Driver's License - $1,000 bond Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device - $5,000 bond Travelling to Meet After Using a Computer to Lure a Child - $25,000 bond Attempt to Seduce, Solicit, Lure, or Entice a Child Believed to be Fourteen or Younger - $15,000 bond Immigration Detainer - No bond

Additionally, the Polk County Sheriff's Office filed a complaint with the district court to seize Mejia's 2013 Ford F-150 because it was contraband, used in the commission of a crime. Mejia was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was subsequently deported from the United States. His case was therefore suspended.

It caused an excess of $85 billion in damage. Mejia was arrested during Polk county's Operation Autumn Sweep, in which a total of 157 people were arrested, including Branden Orr . 96 of those were Johns, 47 prostitutes, and 25 were illegal immigrants.