Fired OPD officer arrested for sexual abuse

Photo from the Daviess County Detention Center

Update, 11:26 p.m. – Aleph Zavala, the Owensboro Police Department officer fired in February over allegations of sexual assault and making false statements as part of an internal investigation, has been arrested. Zavala was indicted by a grand jury on three counts related to sexual abuse.

Zavala, 35, was charged with one count each of first-degree strangulation, first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree sodomy, according to court records. His bond was set at $100,000 cash, according to court and jail records.

Daviess County Detention Center records show Zavala was arrested by Owensboro police on Tuesday just before 5 p.m.

According to a press release from Kentucky State Police on Tuesday evening, troopers began an investigation on Dec. 9, 2023, after allegations of sexual misconduct were reported against an on-duty Owensboro police officer.

“The complaint began on December 8, 2023 when the Owensboro Police Department received a burglary alarm at U-Haul Storage in the 2800 block of W. Parrish Avenue in Owensboro. Officers discovered a homeless woman living in one of the storage units who had permission from the business owner. After officers left the scene, the suspect returned, Ms. Zavala, where he sexually assaulted her,” the release states.

OPD had no comment as of 9:18 p.m

Zavala was fired from OPD on Feb. 21, but police and Owensboro city officials initially provided little insight into the allegations. Owensboro Times later obtained additional details through an open records request that included documents related to the complaint against Zavala, the OPD’s internal investigation and notes from the Kentucky State Police trooper who investigated the incident.

Read our detailed coverage of these findings, including the documents we obtained, here.