NAPOLEON – A Napoleon man was sentenced to prison here Tuesday in Henry County’s Common Pleas Court for assaulting a former girlfriend.
Tony Perez, 39, appeared on video from the Corrections Center in Northwest Ohio (CCNO) and was sentenced to 48 months in prison by Judge John Collier for attempted third-degree felony. and trespassing, a fourth-degree crime. He also received credit for 99 days in CCNO while his case was pending.
Perez can be released early after six months in office.
The attempted crime charge was changed from a second degree felony, while a major burglary charge, a first degree felony, was dismissed as part of the appeal agreement between the Henry County Prosecutor’s Office, Gwen Howe-Gebers, and Perez’s became attorney Paul Duggan of Bryan.
Perez was indicted by a Henry County grand jury in January.
The indictment alleged that he broke into the apartment of a former friend in Napoleon on December 22nd and strangled her. She passed out, Howe-Gebers explained, and was treated at Henry County Hospital, but has made a full recovery.
The verdict came on the recommendation of Michael Cavanaugh, assistant district attorney for Henry County, during Tuesday’s hearing. He said he would not oppose the judicial release.
Prior to the sentencing, Duggan informed the court that he had known Perez for a number of years and considered him a “meek fellow”, making the incident “atypical” for him. He said his client admitted that he had an “alcohol and cocaine problem” but had received “very little help with substance abuse”.
Perez apologized for the incident and noted his drug problems.
“I don’t want to live this life anymore,” he told the court. “I just want to come home and take care of my family.”
In delivering the verdict, Collier mentioned Perez’s previous report, which he noted included convictions of domestic violence, child endangerment and “various allegations of substance abuse … mainly alcohol”.
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