A Shenandoah woman is facing numerous charges after police say she resisted arrest, assaulted officers, and was found in possession of fentanyl during an incident.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, at approximately 11:04 p.m., Shenandoah Police Captain Travis Bowman was conducting a follow-up interview regarding a disturbance at La Casita De Familia on East Centre Street.
Police say Maria Magdalena Rodriguez Zavala, 37, became irate over her boyfriend being in custody and repeatedly attempted to open the door of a patrol vehicle. Officers noted she appeared to be intoxicated, with a strong odor of alcohol on her breath.
While yelling in Spanish, Zavala allegedly dropped a small clear baggie containing a white powdery substance on the ground and tried to hide it by stepping on it. Captain Bowman recovered the baggie, and as officers attempted to take Zavala into custody, she reportedly began resisting and kicking at officers.
During the struggle, police say Zavala kicked Officer Mindy Parker-Petrus in the chest and West Mahanoy Township Officer Theodore Buriak in the groin. She was eventually secured in a patrol vehicle, but according to officers, managed to escape her handcuffs and caused scratches and scuffs to the vehicle’s window bars.
Upon arrival at the station, Zavala allegedly refused to walk and went to the ground before eventually complying. A search of her book bag reportedly revealed another small baggie of white powder. Both baggies tested positive for fentanyl, police said.
Zavala was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and committed to Schuylkill County Prison on $50,000 straight cash bail.
She is charged with felony aggravated assault on designated individuals, misdemeanor counts of simple assault, institutional vandalism, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and possession of a controlled substance, as well as summary counts of public drunkenness and similar misconduct.