Tyler man arrested in connection to serial rape investigation

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man was arrested in March for aggravated sexual assault in connection to a serial rape investigation in Smith County that dates back to 2003. Our news partner KETK reports, Vincente Zavaleta, 44 of Tyler, was arrested on March 21 by the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to his arrest warrant, three victims reported to have been sexually assaulted in Smith County and Tyler in 2003, 2012 and 2016. Two of the victims reported they were abducted by their attacker. The warrant said the three victims had been linked to an unidentified DNA profile.

In the 2003 investigation, Zavaleta’s car at the time matched the description given by the victim. According to the warrant, the victim reported to have been abducted and sexually assaulted by a Hispanic man between 25 and 26-years-old. Zavaleta would have been 24-years-old at the time. The victim in 2012 reported to have been abducted and attacked by two Hispanic men. The victim gave a description of the truck and said one of her attackers appeared to be in his 30s. Authorities reported a truck matching that description was registered to Zavaleta.

In 2016, a woman reported she had gotten into a car with someone “she thought she had seen around the area” who took her into Smith County where she was sexually assaulted. She reported her attacker as a Hispanic man with a heavy build that appeared to be in is his 30s.

According to the warrant, the male DNA profile linked to the victims had been entered into CODIS with no matches. The warrant said Zavaleta’s DNA would not be available for comparison because he not been required to submit his DNA in past arrests.

The warrant said instead authorities contacted his son Vincente Zavaleta Jr. who provided a voluntary sample of his DNA that was compared to DNA taken from one of the victim’s clothes. A laboratory concluded on Jan. 26, 2023 it was “710,000 times more likely” the unidentified DNA profile belonged to the father of Zavaleta Jr.

Zavaleta was booked into Smith County Jail on March 21 where he remains as of April 10. His bond has been set at $500,000.