Woman pleads to 1 count of disturbing the peace

A woman arrested in June on suspicion of terrorizing someone and causing fear, during an incident deputies initially treated as a hate crime, pleaded no contest Wednesday to a lesser offense.

Zhoie Perez, 45, appeared Wednesday at the Santa Clarita Courthouse where she entered her plea.

“Today in a negotiated plea agreement, defendant Zhoie Perez pleaded no contest to one infraction count of disturbing the peace,” Paul Eakins, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said Wednesday.

“The original four misdemeanor counts were dismissed,” he said. “She was ordered to pay a $100 fine plus a penalty assessment.”

Perez was arrested June 12 near the United States Marines Corps recruiting office on Valencia Boulevard at the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall.

“A person threatened someone at the Marine Corps Recruiting office,” Lt. Leo Bauer of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said on the day of the arrest.

“This is considered a hate crime since derogatory comments were directed at an African American recruiter,” he said, noting the threats were verbal and not physical.

Several people near the recruiting station, which is near the food court entrance to the mall, witnessed the barrage of comments made.