An 81-year-old man who repeatedly sexually molested a young relative when she stayed with him in Murrieta pleaded guilty on Wednesday, July 19, to three counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old and was immediately sentenced to five years in state prison.
Jesus Zavala admitted the felony counts under a plea agreement just as his case was set for a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. In exchange for his admissions, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office dropped six related charges against Zavala.
Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
Zavala fled to Mexico when an investigation into the lewd acts on the girl, identified in court documents
