Charges have been dropped against a sheriff’s deputy accused of assaulting a transgender woman after partying at a nightclub. The incident happened on April 28 in Miami, Florida.
Chala, 54, brought the victim home after a night of drinking at E11even Miami. He allegedly became violent after discovering the victim had the same male anatomy as he did.
“This person came in under false pretenses and my client escorted this person out,” said defense attorney Susy Ribero-Ayala. “She represented at all times that she was a woman, when in fact she was a man.”
Police body cam video shows Chala being questioned by officers outside his apartment. He admitted to being intoxicated but he denied striking the victim.
A witness said the victim was bleeding from the mouth and yelling, “This guy is trying to kill me! He has my bags.”
Chala was arrested and charged with battery and false imprisonment. However, all charges were dropped this week after the alleged victim refused to cooperate.
“After numerous attempts to get the victim to cooperate with the SAO for the necessary pre-filing conference, the victim refused to assist with the case investigation,” said a statement from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
Chala’s status at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is not known.
