A San Fernando city councilwoman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges she faces in connection with an altercation with a then-fellow councilman with whom she had been having affair.
Maribel De La Torre faces misdemeanor battery and vandalism charges in San Fernando Superior Court. On June 28, she had a fight with then-Councilman Mario Hernandez, who has since resigned from the City Council and said he does not want her prosecuted.
She could face up to two years in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Prosecutors said De La Torre went to Hernandez's home and quarreled with him, throwing his laptop to the ground. The damage to the computer and a picture frame resulted in the vandalism charge, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
De La Torre on Tuesday told reporters that the incident happened when she was defending herself in a fight.
"What transpired on the evening of June 28th – I will continue to say it was self-defense," De La Torre said.
Hernandez was at the court hearing Tuesday. Last fall, he caused a stir when he said during a public council meeting – with his wife in the audience – that he and De La Torre were having an affair.
Then, this summer, the two council members took out restraining orders against each other after their June altercation, generating renewed attention to the small San Fernando Valley city that has seen years of political intrigue.
De La Torre and Hernandez each later had their restraining orders dismissed. De La Torre's next court date is Sept. 20.
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De La Torre and Mayor Brenda Esqueda, who has been accused of having an affair with a city police sergeant, both face the possibility of recall in the Nov. 6 election.
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