On Saturday, evidence that a Honduran man in the country illegally raped a minor in a restaurant restroom in Prattville, Alabama, was presented in court before Judge Jessica Sanders.
Grevi Geovani Rivera-Zavala, 29, is being jailed without bond on charges of first-degree strong-arm rape at the Autauga County Metro Jail. The Chief Assistant DA, Mandy Johnson, argued there was just cause to keep the subject without bond during today’s probable cause hearing under Aniah’s Law.
Judge Sanders agreed, and the suspect was remanded to jail for further proceedings.
According to witness testimony, the alleged victim is a 16-year-old girl who was out to dinner with her family at the time of the incident. Police said that the minor girl observed Rivera-Zavala staring at her. The youngster walked to the restroom later and encountered another lady she didn’t recognize; after that woman left, Rivera-Zavala allegedly entered the bathroom, shut the door, pushed the teen into a stall, and sexually assaulted her.
Rivera-Zavala returned to the table where he and several others had been eating.
Detective Kaitlyn Sweat of the Prattville Police Department testified that the victim tried to fight off her assailant and repeatedly told him “No” during the assault.
When the child returned to the table, she reportedly told her family what had happened, at which time the police were summoned, and Rivera-Zavala was identified as he attempted to leave the restaurant.
Sweat claims that ICE has put an immigration detainer on Rivera-Zavala after the latter testified in court that official sources had informed her that the 29-year-old Honduran had entered the country unlawfully through Eagle Pass, Texas, in November of 2021.
Rivera-Zavala entered the United States under a false name, was fingerprinted, and then granted entry.
If convicted, Rivera-Zavala may spend anywhere from 10 years to life in jail for the Class A felony charge of rape.
In fiscal year 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered 458,000 migrants; in fiscal year 2021, they encountered 1.7 million. More than 718,000 migrants attempted to enter the U.S.-Mexico border in the first 100 days of fiscal year 2023, compared to the 2.3 million encountered by border authorities in fiscal year 2022.
