Update, 11:26 p.m – Aleph Zavala, the Owensboro Police Department officer who was terminated in February following allegations of sexual assault and false statements during an internal investigation, has been arrested. Zavala was indicted by a grand jury on three charges related to sexual abuse.
According to court records, Zavala, 35, was indicted on one count each of first-degree strangulation, first-degree sexual abuse, and first-degree sodomy. His bond was set at $100,000 full cash, according to court and jail records.
Daviess County Detention Center records show that Zavala was arrested just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday by the Owensboro Police Department.
According to a Tuesday night release from Kentucky State Police, troopers launched an investigation on December 9, 2023, after allegations of sexual misconduct was reported involving an on-duty Owensboro Police Officer.
“The complaint began on December 8, 2023, when Owensboro Police Department received a burglary alarm at U-Haul Storage in the 2800 block of W. Parrish Avenue, Owensboro. Officers discovered a homeless female residing in one of the storage units, who had permission from the business owner. After the officers left the scene, the female alleged Zavala returned where he sexually assaulted her,” the release reads.
OPD had no comment as of 9:18 p.m.
Zavala was terminated from OPD on February 21, but police and City of Owensboro officials initially gave little insight into the allegations. Owensboro Times later obtained more details through an open records request that yielded documents related to the complaint against Zavala, OPD’s internal investigation, and notes from the Kentucky State Police officer investigating the incident.
Read our detailed coverage of those findings, including the documents we obtained, here.
