San Antonio – Disabled Army veteran Jessie Pyles and his wife, Caroline Born, hired contractor Carlos Elizondo in February to repair and refinish their back patio. The $1,800 job was supposed to include flipping and refinishing usable boards, replacing damaged ones and building new steps.
According to Pyles, Elizondo collected the payment and then vanished, leaving the deck with exposed screws, missing boards and removed steps. “There’s screws sticking up,” Pyles said, describing the safety hazard now present in their North Side yard.
Pattern of complaints documented by KSAT Investigates
The couple said they were unaware of Elizondo’s criminal history when they hired him. After the work stalled, Pyles searched the contractor’s name online and found multiple KSAT Investigates reports documenting similar complaints from homeowners throughout the San Antonio area.
Previous investigations have highlighted allegations from homeowners in Converse, Canyon Lake and other nearby communities. In one case, Shantel Brown paid more than $5,000 toward a deck and patio‑cover project in 2024, only to receive a partially finished job and a refund of $600. In Canyon Lake, Diane Michelle Brosnan paid $3,400 of a $6,600 contract before the work was abandoned, and Mason Weems paid $2,500 of a $5,000 deck extension before Elizondo disappeared with about $270 worth of lumber and labor.
Criminal history and probation status
Elizondo’s record stretches back to 2014, with 15 theft charges filed in Bexar, Comal and Hays counties. In 2017 a Bexar County judge sentenced him to four years in jail after prosecutors sought to revoke his probation on prior theft convictions. He was released in January 2019 after serving less than a third of that sentence.
Despite statements from his attorneys that his contracting career was over, Elizondo returned to the trade. He is currently on felony probation in Bexar County through the summer of 2028, and his community supervision for a separate felony case in Hays County was transferred to Bexar County in July 2023, where it was described as “zero tolerance supervision.”
Police investigation continues
San Antonio police have forwarded the latest allegation to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for review. No criminal charges have yet been filed in connection with the unfinished patio work.
When KSAT reporter Dillon Collier confronted Elizondo about the string of complaints, the contractor quickly packed up his equipment and left the neighborhood, tailgate down, after the camera captured his presence.
Advice for homeowners
Pyles cautions other residents to conduct thorough background checks before hiring contractors. A simple online search would have revealed Elizondo’s extensive history of alleged theft and unfinished projects, potentially saving homeowners from costly, unsafe situations.
Local consumer‑protection agencies encourage residents to verify a contractor’s licensing, request written contracts and obtain references before any payment is made. Reporting suspected fraud to law enforcement can help protect the community and may lead to further investigation.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
