Waterbury Man Charged In Weekend Slaying; Victim ID’d

WATERBURY, CT — A city man is facing a murder charge following a fatal weekend fight on Grove Street.

Sgt. Joseph Morais said police on Monday took Kendren Barnes, 47, into custody and charged him with murder.

On Tuesday, police identified the victim who died as Ricardo Maldonado, 57, of Waterbury.

Police were summoned around 7:17 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27 to 144 Grove St. for reports of a physical altercation involving a weapon.

Officers found two males suffering wounds that appeared to be from an edged weapon. Both were rushed to local area hospitals, and Maldonado later died due to his injuries, police said.

According to Morais, the other injured male on the scene was Barnes.

“Originally, they were both classified as victims as the investigation was underway,” Morais said. “They both had sustained lacerations and injuries from an edged weapon and both were transported to the hospital. Maldonado later died of his injuries. As the investigation went on, it was determined that Barnes was not a victim but was actually the aggressor in this incident and was subsequently arrested for murder.”

Barnes was transported to court Monday. He remained in custody as of Tuesday, being held on a $2.5 million bond, and he is next due in court on Jan. 8, court records show.

According to police, Barnes is a convicted felon with an extensive criminal record which spans three decades. His prior record includes convictions for a variety of offenses, such as burglary, robbery, larceny and assault.

Anyone with information should contact detectives at 203-574-6941 or call the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at 203-755-1234.

Read more:
1 Dead, 1 Injured Following Waterbury Altercation Over Weekend: PD