A South Florida man once caught on camera abusing his 6-year-old stepson with a dog collar is back on the streets after prosecutors dropped a new case accusing him of violating a court-ordered stay-away order.
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Zachary Perez was arrested this summer after police alleged he violated a stay-away order by calling the child’s mother.
Perez had previously accepted a plea deal in the child abuse case that allowed him to avoid prison time. Under the agreement, he was sentenced to two years of house arrest followed by 10 years of probation and was ordered to have no contact with the victims.
The underlying case included surveillance video showing Perez with a pink dog leash wrapped around his six-year-old stepson’s neck. In another video, Perez is seen pulling the child with the leash in the yard.
Despite the no-contact order, Perez called his former wife earlier this year on her birthday, the woman tells NBC6.
The child’s mother said she did not answer the call and instead contacted police.
Perez was subsequently arrested for allegedly violating the stay-away order.
But prosecutors ultimately dismissed that violation.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told NBC6 that evidence indicated Perez accidentally pocket-dialed the child’s mother on one occasion. After the call, prosecutors said, Perez contacted his attorney and reported the mistake.
Prosecutors said they could not prove the call was intentional and therefore dismissed the alleged violation.
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The decision has left the child’s mother feeling unsettled.
She said the experience has affected her ability to sleep and left her constantly worried about the safety of herself and her children.
The mother also expressed concern about the broader issue of women seeking protection from former partners.
“It’s happening more and more,” she said. “More women are getting killed by their partners, ex-partners, and they’re crying out for help.”
Perez left court as a free man, but the judge issued a stern warning about the consequences of violating the court’s orders in the future.
Judge Richard Hersch told Perez that any contact with the victim could put him back behind bars.
“You have a woman with the key to the jailhouse door,” Hersch told Perez, warning that another violation could result in Perez “wearing orange” again.
Perez’s original plea agreement remains in effect. He is still required to complete two years of house arrest, followed by 10 years of probation, and must stay away from the victims.
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NBC6 reached out to Perez’s attorneys but they declined to comment.