Ruben Maldonado-Zamora (photo courtesy KBAK)
BAKERSFIELD — A Bakersfield man who held off a police SWAT team last week, and led police on a high-speed chase over the weekend, escaped, only to be recaptured several days later.
Ruben Maldonado-Zamora, 25, was booked into the Kern County Jail for charges of being under the influence of narcotics, battery on a police officer and felony resisting arrest. He is being held on $330,000 bail.
According to the Bakersfield Police Department, the incident began on February 19, when officers were dispatched to Maldonado’s house in the 3000 block of Pecangrove Drive in southwest Bakersfield for a family dispute.
A SWAT standoff followed, which lasted several hours and closed a part of nearby Gosford Road.
“No one was arrested as it was determined the incident involved a dispute among family members and no crime was committed” said BPD Public Information Officer Gary Carruesco.
Two days later on February 21, Maldonado-Zamora led police a high-speed chase that was eventually called off due to “the driver’s unbelievable disregard for public safety,” Carruesco said.
Then, on February 24, shortly after midnight, Maldonado-Zamora again had a run in with police, this time refusing to comply to officer’s request for him to come down from the roof of his residence during another family altercation.
“When officers arrived, they saw the suspect exhibiting symptoms of drug influence,” Carruesco said. “And when they tried to take him into custody, he became combative and threatened to kill officers.”
Using reasonable force officers were eventually able to take the suspect into custody, but not before he violently resisted, striking one of the arresting officers.
Maldonado-Zamora was transported to Kern Medical Center where he was admitted on a law enforcement hold for treatment.
At about 3 p.m. that day, Maldonado-Zamora walked away from the hospital, but was located a short distance and taken into custody without incident.
