Published: July 10, 2008 10:58 am      

Illegal alien denies raping 14-year-old relative

Suspect’s brother claims he tried to ‘sell’ girl

A man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl denies that the alleged victim is his relative.

Speaking through an interpreter in Floyd Circuit Court, Jenrry Yovany Zavala, 19, claimed the girl in question is actually his girlfriend, but a family member says otherwise.

According to a probable-cause affidavit, the victim is Zavala’s relative and shares the same last name. Zavala told Judge J. Terrence Cody that he can provide a birth certificate proving that the girl has a different last name. He made no mention of the girl’s age.

“These are things that when he gets an attorney, he will need to discuss with his attorney,” Cody said to the interpreter.

Zavala has been charged with rape, a class B felony, criminal confinement, a class D felony, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a class A misdemeanor. He faces six to 20 years in prison if convicted of rape and six months to three years if convicted of criminal confinement.

Jony Zavala, the suspect’s brother, said he has legal custody of the victim. He reportedly called police when she went missing and led them to where his brother was staying near East 18th Street in New Albany.

Jony claims that when he went looking for the girl, a man told him that Jenrry had been trying to “sell” her as a prostitute.

Jony claims his brother had broken into his home in Hanover several times and stolen jewelry. According to the affidavit, the alleged victim said that Jenrry kidnapped her, forced her to have sex with him multiple times and threatened to kill her. Police found her hiding in a closet.

Jenrry told the judge that he had been working on his brother’s farm and gave him all of his earnings.

Jony said he had a restraining order against his brother and had not seen him in a year.

According to Jony, Jenrry has been arrested multiple times in different counties, but because he looks younger than 18 and does not have any identification, he is able to get away with it.

Jenrry said in court that he lives in Hanover. The Hanover Police Department did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Jenrry also admitted to the judge that he does not have a permit to work in the United States.

The Zavalas are originally from Honduras. Jony said he has been living in the United States for 15 years and is a legal resident. He said that he does not have a problem with people living in the country illegally, but only if they obey the laws. It has been hard for him to testify against his brother.

“It has been very painful for my family, especially my mom,” Jony said. “But if he has the guts to kidnap a 14-year-old girl, what else could he do?”

Jenrry is being held in the Floyd County Jail on $150,000 bail. He will have to pay $15,000 in cash to be released. Judge Cody issued a no-contact order with the alleged victim.

He is scheduled to be back in court Aug. 19.