On December 8, 2023, Officer Zavala responded to a burglary alarm at a U-Haul Storage facility. After the initial response, he returned alone to the scene, where he allegedly attempted to pull down a woman’s pants, choked her, and committed a sexual act in front of her. An internal investigation substantiated these allegations, leading to his termination on February 21, 2024. Subsequently, he was indicted on charges of first-degree strangulation, first-degree sexual abuse, and first-degree sodomy, with a bond set at $100,000 full cash.