PASADENA, Texas – A man from Honduras has been arrested after Pasadena Police say he forced a woman into his apartment before sexually assaulting her.
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Jose Santos Maldonado-Zavala, 56, has been charged with kidnapping. Sexual assault charges are also pending against Zavala. His bond was initially set at $100,000 and he also has an ICE hold on him. On Tuesday, a judge granted prosecutor’s request to raise his bond to $250,000.
What happened
The crime reportedly occurred around midnight on June 2 at the Emerald Pointe Apartments located at 920 Houston Ave in Pasadena.
According to court documents, Zavala lived in an apartment directly below the victim’s and allegedly approached her and told her that her AC was leaking.
At that point, the documents allege Zavala grabbed the victim, forced her into his apartment, and sexually assaulted her. The victim was able to run away and was found by a friend who helped her into her vehicle and they both drove away.
The documents allege Zavala confessed to forcing the woman into his apartment and that he took advantage of her because he believed she was a “slow learner” and may have had a disability.
Pasadena Police say they believe there may be more victims and are encouraging anyone who has had any interactions with Zavala to reach out to Detective E. Guerra at 713-475-4909 or eguerra@pasadenatx.gov.