Chase Lands Sonora Man In Jail For Drug Charges

SPD Patrol photo

Sonora, CA – A Sonora man allegedly tried to flee police on his bicycle but wound up handcuffed for felony drug charges earlier this week.

On Monday, October 27, 2025, around 8:30 p.m., a bicycle with no rear light or reflector attached was going against traffic on Shepherd Street in downtown Sonora when it caught the eye of a Sonora Police Department (SPD) K9 officer on patrol. When he tried to pull the rider, later identified as 48-year-old Joseph Maldonado, over, Maldonado instead started pedaling faster and turned down Theall Street.

During the short chase, the SPD reports that the officer saw Maldonado “reach into his pocket and toss a small object off to the side.” Maldonado stopped shortly after that and gave himself up. A search of the area where the object was thrown revealed a packet of methamphetamine. A records check allowed Maldonado’s drug charges to be upgraded to felonies for possessing a controlled substance with two or more prior convictions.