Salisbury man arrested on drug and gun charges

Published 11:39 am Friday, March 13, 2015

A man with a felony record in California was arrested in Salisbury on Wednesday.

Kristopher Steven Maldonado, 24, was arrested by Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies on multiple firearm and drug related charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Maldonado was charged with misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun; possession of a firearm by a felon; possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance; sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance; possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance; sell or deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance; sell or deliver a Schedule I controlled substance; possession with intent to sell or deliver a controlled substance; and one count of maintaining a vehicle.

Maldonado, a known gang member with a felony drug record in California, received a $50,000 secured bond.

The firearm charges are connected to a incident that occurred Wednesday at Maldonado’s parents’ home on Saxton Circle. Reports say Maldonado used a 12-gauge shotgun to threaten his parents over money and other things. His father was able to wrestle the shotgun away from him.

When the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, deputies arrested Maldonado and seized the shotgun as evidence. When Maldonado was transported to the Rowan County Magistrate’s Office for processing, deputies saw that Maldonado was disoriented and then learned that he had consumed a large amount of pills prior to deputies arriving at his home. He was transported by EMS to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center for treatment.  He remained in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office until he could be taken to a magistrate Thursday.

Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigators had made undercover purchases of drugs from Maldonado in February. On Feb.10, deputies bought or were delivered 41 alprazolam tablets, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and one dosage unit of  buprenorphine sublingual, a Schedule III controlled substance. On Feb. 23, deputies bought black tar heroin from Maldonado.