On March 28, 2024, 30-year-old Matthew Zapata was found guilty and sentenced by a jury to 60 years in prison after a plea deal with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office. The formal charge was Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child under the age of 14.
Zapata was arrested in June of 2022 by the Burleson Police Department and charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The Fort Worth Police Department took over the investigation and proceeded with the charges for which he was convicted. The investigation revealed that Zapata had repeatedly sexually abused a 9-year-old girl.
Zapata was taken into custody after the sentencing.
