Full Notification

Corona Police detectives arrested 22-year-old Corona resident, Benny Zavala, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, for mulitiple charges relating to child sex abuse.

Earlier that day, a Corona Police officer was visiting an elementary school campus in the City of Corona as part of the “Adopt-A-School” program, when a school counselor asked to meet with the officer. The counselor had just met with a student who reported a sexual assault by a relative that had occurred the night before.

The resulting joint investigation between the Corona Police Department and the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services revealed another child-victim of sexual abuse who is also related to Zavala. In addition to the incident that led to the disclosure to the school counselor, both victims reported how Zavala molested them on several occasions between two and three years ago when they were very young. All incidents reported occurred in the City of Corona.

Zavala was arrested on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at about 12:40 p.m., in the 2000 block of Lockwood Circle in the City of Corona. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside. The booking charges include Sexual Intercourse with a Minor under 10-years-old, Oral Copulation of a Minor under 10-years-old, Sexual Penetration of a Minor under 10-years-old, and Lewd Acts with a Minor. His bail was set at $9,375,000.
Due to the sensitivity of this case, state privacy laws, and the ongoing investigation, the Corona Police Department is unable to release any further details that could tend to identify the victims in this case.

If anyone has information on this case, please call Detective Daryl Sailer at 951-817-5796 or email [email protected].