Kayla Gomez-Orozco

Affidavit provides timeline of alleged murder of 10-year-old Tyler girl
11/8/2016
Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 24, center, is brought from the sheriff's office to a waiting patrol car (Photo: Andrew D. Brosig)
Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 24, center, is brought from the sheriff's office to a waiting patrol car (Photo: Andrew D. Brosig)
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TYLER -- An arrest affidavit reveals additional information into the investigation of the East Texas man suspected of killing a 10-year-old family member.

According to the affidavit, on the night Kayla Gomez-Orozco disappeared, a church member revealed they saw Kayla leave with Gustavo Zavala-Garcia and his 3-year-old daughter. Zavala-Garcia later told another church member that Kayla had gone back in to sit and wait for her family.

Cell phone records tracked Zavala-Garcia from the church to his home over a span of seven minutes. They also showed a 17-minute discrepancy between when Zavala-Garcia arrived home and when his wife said she saw him enter their house.

Investigators believe that time window "is when suspected party concealed the victim in the well," according to the affidavit.

Kayla's body was found in a concrete well during a consensual search of Zavala-Garcia's home and property on Nov. 5., and his wife and daughter were relocated.

The affidavit also states that Zavala-Garcia answered "yes" to questions asked about causing Kayla's death, but later recanted.

The same day Kayla went missing, Zavala-Garcia asked his employer if he could borrow a vehicle to assist in the search for the 10-year-old.

"[His employer] Jose Zavala is unaware if [the suspect] used one of the vehicles due to the business shop being unlocked and keys are in the vehicles," the affidavit reads.

Zavala-Garcia remains in the Smith County Jail on a $10 million bond.