Lakeside Man, 23, Arrested on Multiple Felony Warrants for Drug Deliveries

Buena Vista County deputies arrested a 23-year-old Lakeside man Tuesday night on warrants connecting him to three alleged marijuana deliveries in Storm Lake and the intentional destruction of a statue on the Buena Vista University campus.

Mauricio Alberto Cuevas Zonta was located at approximately 8:00 p.m. on March 17 at a residence in Lakeside, where he was taken into custody by the Buena Vista County Sheriff's Department on several outstanding warrants stemming from Storm Lake Police Department investigations conducted over the past year.

Officers allege that between the summer of 2025 and February 2026, Cuevas Zonta delivered marijuana in Storm Lake on three separate occasions. Authorities further allege that in November 2025, Cuevas Zonta intentionally damaged a statue on the BVU campus, causing an estimated $20,000 in damage.

Cuevas Zonta was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on one count of First-Degree Criminal Mischief, a Class C felony tied to the alleged campus damage, and three counts of Controlled Substance Violations, each a Class D felony. He is being held on a $15,000 bond.

The Class C felony carries the most serious potential consequences of the four charges. In Iowa, First-Degree Criminal Mischief requires that damage exceed $10,000, a threshold the alleged $20,000 figure clears by double.

No statements from Buena Vista University, the Storm Lake Police Department, or Cuevas Zonta or his legal counsel were available at the time of this report. Court records showing arraignment dates or case numbers had not been filed publicly as of publication.