80-Year-Old Fugitive Captured, Suspect In Murrieta Child Sex Abuse

MURRIETA, CA — An 80-year-old man who was on the run after being accused of sexually abusing an underage family member in Murrieta was arrested at the Mexico–U.S. border this week, the Murrieta Police Department announced.

Jesus Zavala of Chula Vista was apprehended Wednesday when he attempted to reenter the United States at the Tecate border crossing, according to the department.

The police agency reported that Zavala had been the target of an investigation since December after the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services learned of the alleged sexual abuse. The investigation determined the child was sexually assaulted from 2019 to 2020 while living at the Murrieta home with a family member, according to the police department.

The victim's identity and the address where the alleged crimes took place were not disclosed.

In January, an arrest warrant was issued for Zavala but he fled to Mexico "where he remained to avoid capture," according to the police department. The warrant included a $3 million bail amount, the department said.

It's not clear why Zavala was attempting to reenter the United States when he was apprehended. Riverside County Gang Impact Team members made the arrest and transported Zavala back to Murrieta for booking on suspicion of multiple counts of lewd acts on a child, according to the police department.

As of early Friday afternoon, jail and court records were unavailable on Zavala.

Anyone with information regarding Zavala is asked to contact Det. Travis Shows at 951-461-6340 or Sgt. Miguel Garcia at 951-461-6362.