Three arrested after deputies reportedly find multiple fake IDs during traffic stop

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 14, 2024

SALISBURY — Three men were arrested on Monday after police said they found multiple fake identification cards during a vehicle search.

The incident began at approximately 1:16 a.m. on Monday, when a deputy clocked a silver Jeep driving 104 mph on the southbound side of Interstate 85 near the Peach Orchard Road exit, said a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

When the deputy pulled over the Jeep, he reportedly noticed that there were three people in the car. When the deputy asked for identification, the passenger in the front seat of the car reached into the pocket in the passenger-side door and pulled out the driver’s wallet. The driver then provided the deputy with a Maryland driver’s license, according to the spokesperson.

During the stop, the deputy reportedly noticed the scent of marijuana and called for a K9 unit, which gave a positive alert on the car. The deputies then asked the driver and the passengers to step out and searched the car, the spokesperson said.

The deputies reportedly found multiple grams of marijuana in the cupholder, glovebox and back seat of the car. During the search, deputies also found multiple driver’s licenses on the floorboard of the car, the spokesperson said. All of the licenses had the driver’s face on them but had different names and locations.

The driver and the front-seat passenger, identified as 39-year-old Edward Andres Valenzuela-Natera and 21-year-old Kevin Josue Romero Sura, were both arrested and charged with fraudulent use of an ID card and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were placed in the Rowan County Detention Center. Sura, who is listed as a Washington, D.C., resident, was given a $5,000 bond. Valenzuela-Natera, who is listed as a Maryland resident, was given a $1,500 bond.

The back-seat passenger, identified as 35-year-old Christopher Jimenez-Reyes, was charged with possession of up to half an ounce of a schedule IV controlled substance. Jimenez-Reyes, who is listed as a Salisbury resident, was released on a written promise to appear before the court.

Deputies were unable to verify the identities of two of the men on scene. Through working with a magistrate, deputies were able to identify them.