NIXA, Mo. – Two people who were wanted for violating probation and had warrants out for their arrest were taken into custody at a home near school buildings in Nixa Monday afternoon.

A news release from the City of Nixa said officers were told late Monday morning that the two wanted people were in a home on West South Street, which is right next to the Nixa Public Schools Faught Administration Building and Early Childhood Learning Center.

Nixa police said the two people were not in the home, but officers stayed in the area and discovered they were in a camper trailer on the property just before 2 p.m. Police said the man and woman refused to come out and barricaded themselves inside the trailer.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” Nixa Public Schools moved students and faculty to an area of campus away from where the incident was taking place.

It was then that police established a perimeter around the home and camper, but officers did not make any moves to get the man and woman to come out until school was dismissed.

After members of the tactical team were unsuccessful in getting the man and woman to come out of the trailer, a search warrant was issued and the team took them into custody around 5 p.m. Monday.

Both suspects, who Nixa Police identified as Jeff Mendenhall of Grove Springs, Missouri, and Linda Mendenhall of Hartville, Missouri were taken to the Christian County jail. Nixa Police said the suspects are likely to be taken back to Wright County for prosecution.

Jeff and Linda Mendenhall (Courtesy: Christian County Jail)

Nixa police said they planned to seek charges of resisting arrest, but those charges have not been filed at the time of publishing this story.

Online court records from Wright County show a motion to revoke Jeff Mendenhall’s probation was made in June of 2022 and the court suspended his probation in September. He was charged with drug and weapons violations.

Online court records show Linda Mendenhall was also on probation for drug and weapons charges. A motion to revoke her probation was made in July of 2022 and her probation was suspended in August.