A Florida Marine Corps veteran, 42-year-old Zachary Perez, will probably avoid prison after allegedly abusing his 6-year-old stepson. Videos shared online show him allegedly yanking the boy by the neck with a pink dog collar.
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As reported by NBC6, the Miami-Dade State’s Attorney’s Office has offered Perez a plea deal that will have him avoid prison. As a first-time crime offender, prosecutors offered a plea deal that will have him serve two years of house arrest. He will also have mandatory GPS monitoring.
“Damaging or removing the GPS monitor during that period of house arrest would lead to him returning to jail,” the attorney’s office confirmed to the outlet.
“This plea, which has the defendant in custody for two years, would avoid the necessity of having to put the child victim on the witness stand during a trial to be cross-examined by the defendant’s lawyers, something the child’s mother has indicated she was unwilling to allow,” a state attorney’s office spokesman told the outlet.
Perez, should he accept the plea deal, will also serve 10 years’ probation. If the plea deal is violated, he could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
A ‘Slap In The Face’
The boy’s mother has indeed refused to have her son relive his trauma while on the stand. However, she has blasted the plea deal offered by the prosecutors.
“It’s an absolute slap in the face considering what he has done to my child and the trauma he caused,” the mother, unnamed, said. “I fear that he will come back and he will kill us. I still continue to fear that wherever I go, I am constantly looking over my shoulder.”
Zachary Perez, a former Marine who served in Iraq, is accused of abusing his 6-year-old stepson. Allegedly, he was putting the boy in a pink dog collar and walking him through his backyard.
Video footage of the alleged abuse was shared online, showing how the boy fell to the ground after being yanked by the neck. Additionally, Perez is accused of whipping the boy with a tree branch.
Reportedly, Perez suffers from PTSD and has a history of domestic violence, allegedly inflicted on his 14-year-old daughter, among others.
Perez was initially charged with one count of aggravated child abuse resulting in great bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty and was released on house arrest in June.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.