Deputy Off the Hook After Being Accused of Assaulting a Trans Woman
Welp. A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy is officially off the hook after being cleared of all criminal charges in a case that sparked serious conversation.
54-year-old Lt. Daniel Chala was arrested after being accused of assaulting a transgender woman he met at E11even nightclub. According to the arrest report, the woman said she met Chala at the club on 29 Northeast 11th Street. Things allegedly took a turn after he found out she had the same male anatomy as he did.
Defense attorney Susy Ribero-Ayala came to her client’s defense real quick, saying:
“This person came in under false pretenses and my client escorted this person out. She represented at all times that she was a woman, when in fact she was a man.”
Body cam footage shows police questioning Chala outside his apartment. He looked like he’d had one too many and flat-out denied ever putting his hands on the woman.
But a witness said otherwise — claiming the woman was bleeding from the mouth and screaming,
“This guy is trying to kill me! He has my bags.”
Chala was later arrested and hit with battery and false imprisonment charges over the April incident. But now? Those charges just got dropped. And the reason? The alleged victim stopped cooperating.
State Attorney’s Office Drops the Case After Victim Goes Silent
A statement from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office reads:
“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.”
So, with no victim to testify, no case to pursue.
It’s a wrap. And while some folks are calling it closure, others are raising eyebrows — especially considering there were witnesses and visible injuries reported. Still, without the victim’s help, the case couldn’t stand up in court.
Still No Word on His Job — Is He Back on the Force or What?
At the time of this report, there’s still no official word on whether Chala is back at work, suspended, or just chilling quietly on the county’s dime. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released a statement about his employment status.