He threatened to kill a girl’s family if she talked. She told, and he’s going to prison

A 37-year-old man who threatened to kill a girl’s family if she reported being sexual abused has admitted inappropriately touching her.

Pedro Zalamanca Zalamanca took a plea agreement in Benton County Superior Court, which reduced his child rape and child molestation charges to two counts of second-degree child molestation.

The Kennewick man entered an “In Re Barr” plea, meaning he did not admit guilt but took a plea to lesser substitute charges so he could receive the benefit of a deal.

Zalamanca was arrested in January 2018 after a judge issued a nationwide warrant.

Detectives and the U.S. Marshals Service tracked him down in Milton-Freewater, where he had moved in with some relatives.

From massages to molestation

Zalamanca sexually assaulted the grade-school girl from 2015 through 2017, according to court documents.

The girl eventually shared her story with a friend at school, who told a school counselor. Kennewick police were called in.

She said it started with Zalamanca giving her massages and escalated to the molestation, documents said.

Zalamanca did not have any criminal convictions before this case.

He now is being held without bail since he is convicted of a sex crime.

Sentencing is set for July 11.

Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra said she will recommend the maximum sentence of three years and five months in prison.