Lowell Man, Stoneham Woman Arrested In Tewksbury For Drug Trafficking

TEWKSBURY, MA — A man from Lowell and a woman from Stoneham have been charged with trafficking fentanyl and other drugs after being arrested Thursday in Tewksbury after trying to evade police, the Tewksbury Police Department said.

Anthony Maldonado, 33, was charged with trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance (subsequent offense), possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance (subsequent offense), failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to yield, two counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, operating with a suspended license (subsequent offense) and marked lanes violation, according to authorities. Police also said the suspect had six outstanding arrest warrants.

Meanwhile, Samantha Jackson, 26, was charged with trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance and possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, authorities said. The Tewksbury PD said Jackson also had two outstanding arrest warrants.

Maldonado and Jackson were scheduled to be arraigned in Lowell District Court on Monday.

According to police reports, Tewksbury PD detectives were conducting surveillance on Thursday when they observed a Nissan Altima in the parking lot of The Inn at Tewksbury, located at 4 Highwood Drive, involved in what they believed was drug activity.

The department said its officers tried to stop the Altima after observing a traffic violation on Main Street.

After briefly stopping, the driver of the Altima accelerated and attempted to leave the scene, and police decided not to pursue the vehicle due to safety concerns, according to the Tewksbury PD.

But the Altima crashed into a nearby vehicle and then a fire hydrant, and a male and female fled from the Altima, police said.

The Tewksbury PD said there were no injuries reported as a result of the crash.

A search for the suspects included K-9 units, over a dozen Tewksbury police officers and officers from the Lowell Police Department, according to authorities.

The female suspect, Jackson, was located hiding near a trash can nearby, according to police.

The Tewksbury PD said an authorized search of a room at the Inn at Tewksbury — which was rented to Jackson — led to the location of the second suspect, Maldonado, who was taken into custody.

According to police, signs of drug trafficking were visible in plain sight inside the hotel room.

The Tewksbury PD said it located over $4,000 in cash, 26 grams of fentanyl, approximately 4 grams of crack cocaine and over 2.5 pounds of marijuana in the hotel room.

Authorities said two more people are expected to be charged in connection with this case.