Former OPD officer indicted

James Mayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

A former Owensboro Police Officer fired in February in connection to an incident where he allegedly sexually assaulted a homeless woman was indicted Tuesday by a Daviess County grand jury.

Aleph Gerardo Zavala, 35, of the 600 block of Dalton Street was indicted on charges of first-degree sodomy, first-degree strangulation and first-degree sexual abuse. The charges are all felonies, with first-degree sodomy carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

According to records received in an open records request, Zavala and other officers responded to reports of a possible burglary at U-Haul in the 2800 block of West Parrish Avenue at 5 a.m. on Dec. 8. Officers found a woman there with a 24-hour pass, exhibiting signs of possible drug intoxication.

The officers decided to let the woman stay in her storage shed, and all the officers except for Zavala left the scene, records of the incident say. The woman later told investigators Zavala allegedly tried to remove her pants and lifted up her shirt, urged her to perform a sex act on him and then choked her while he was engaged in a sex act.

Zavala’s body camera was turned off during the incident.

Zavala gave statements to KSP investigators that didn’t match with surveillance camera footage of the U-Haul facility. Records say Zavala denied any sexual activity occurred to the KSP detective, but told OPD’s Professional Standards Unit investigator there was a “consensual” sex act.

Zavala gave contradicting statements during his interview with the OPD investigator. Meanwhile, the woman who reported the assault, said Zavala came up behind her pushed her down tried to remove her clothing, and choked her while forcing her to do a sex act, records say.

Zavala was fired for giving false statements to the Professional Standards officer and to KSP, abuse of power, unbecoming conduct and breaking regulations.

Zavala was arrested Tuesday and was being held in the Daviess County Detention Center.

An arraignment date for Zavala has not yet been set.