March 11, 2022- 7:51 p.m.
Esteban Gonzalez Zambrano, 29, of Maypearl, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony with a punishment range of 5-99 years, or life, in prison.
Zambrano’s jury trial began on February 22, 2022. The jury heard evidence that on July 11, 2019, Zambrano sexually assaulted a 9-year-old child. The child immediately told her mother about the assault, and her mother took her to the hospital. While the mother and child were at the hospital, Zambrano went back to the child’s house and told the child’s sister that the touching was an accident.
The jury also heard testimony that Zambrano had previously committed acts of sexual assault against the same older sister in Ellis County when the sister was under the age of 17.
The jury pronounced a guilty verdict after deliberating for only 40 minutes. Zambrano elected to go to the judge for punishment, and his punishment hearing began on March 11, 2022.
After considering the evidence in the guilt and innocence phase of trial and then additional evidence in the punishment phase, the Honorable Judge Cindy Ermatinger, of the 443rd Judicial Court sentenced Zambrano to 60 years in prison.
Zambrano is required to serve 30 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole. “Child victim cases are some of the toughest cases we prosecute, and the passage of time does not make the process easier for the child or the case,” explained Montgomery. “Despite that reality, our office is committed to seeking justice for the victims.”
