NoHo Barricade Suspect Who Led Police On Chase Pleads Not Guilty In Court To Stalking Ex
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A man who kept police at bay in North Hollywood Monday following a chase from El Sereno, pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.
Nolan Perez, 41, is being held on $1 million bail. He is next due in court on June 24.
Perez was arrested Monday following a standoff that lasted several hours. It ended when police fired several tear gas canisters into a home where he was holed up.
The accused pleaded not guilty to charges he stalked and made threats against an ex-girlfriend.
A criminal complaint alleges he stalked his ex between May 19 and last Friday and that he made criminal threats on six occasions between May 19 and June 4.
Perez has not yet been charged in connection with the chase.
The pursuit began after Perez was spotted about 10:15 a.m. Monday in the 4900 block of Axtell Street in El Sereno. Los Angeles police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said Perez was suspected of making criminal threats at the same location, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
When the suspect was spotted by officers, he fled, driving along various surface streets near downtown LA, then onto various freeways including the Hollywood (101), Pasadena (110), Golden State (5) and Hollywood (170), Smith said.
At least once during the chase, the suspect pointed a rifle out of the car window. Police have not determined if Perez actually fired the weapon.
About 11:30 a.m., he came to a stop on a North Hollywood surface street and -- armed with a rifle -- got out of the car and ran into a neighborhood in the 11500 block of Hartsook Street. At one point, Perez climbed onto a rooftop eventually making his way inside a home. The drama was covered live on television until its conclusion, around 3 p.m.
Police evacuated several homes and schools in the vicinity.
After firing tear gas into the residence, the suspect came out, unarmed, and dropped face-down to the ground.
The criminal complaint alleges that Perez has prior convictions for domestic violence (2011), being a felon in possession of a firearm (2007) and negligent discharge of a firearm (1997.)
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