By Milena Malaver
A night that began at a trendy Miami nightclub ended in fear and violence for one woman — and handcuffs for a Miami-Dade County sheriff’s deputy, according to police.
Around 8:20 a.m. Monday, Miami Police were called to the apartment of Daniel Chala, the deputy, after a neighbor reported hearing knocking and cries for help at her door. The witness told police she was lying in bed when she heard a woman shouting, “This guy is trying to kill me; he has my bags,” according to Chala’s arrest affidavit.
Looking through her peephole, the neighbor saw the woman bleeding from the mouth and let her in, calling police and the building’s front desk, according to police
The woman told officers that earlier that morning, she had met Chala at E11even Nightclub, 29 NE 11th St., where they struck up a conversation at the bar. When she decided to leave, Chala invited her back to his apartment, telling her he lived alone. Once inside, the two began kissing on his bed, she said.
But when the woman got up and headed toward the door, she told police, Chala came up behind her, wrapped an arm around her neck, and began kissing her again. Initially, she went along with it — until his grip tightened to the point of pain.
“Babe, you’re hurting me. Stop, stop,” she told him, but he didn’t let go, according to police. Instead, she said, he tightened his hold until she collapsed to the floor. She then managed to crawl toward the door and escape after several minutes of struggling, per his arrest affidavit.
The woman ran to the neighboring apartments seeking help until the witness let her in. Police noted visible red marks on her neck and chin, as well as broken fingernails.
At some point, the victim returned to Chala’s apartment to retrieve her belongings. According to police, Chala left the woman’s tennis shoes and purse outside his door, an exchange that the witness recorded on video.
Chala agreed to speak with detectives and gave a different version of events. He claimed that after inviting the woman to his apartment, he told her he was tired, to which she allegedly responded, “Great, let’s lay down in bed together.” He said he refused and asked her to leave. He then claimed she began knocking on neighbors’ doors, while he “kept an eye on” her and went back inside to listen to music.
Chala denied ever making physical contact with the woman aside from allegedly kissing her hand. When officers asked him about a makeup stain on his shirt, he responded, “Maybe I hugged a girl. I don’t know,” according to the affidavit.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed Chala’s arrest.
“I am disappointed to learn that one of my deputies has been arrested,” Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in a statement. “I expect every member of this office to conduct themselves with integrity, professionalism, and respect for the oath they have taken. When someone falls short of those expectations, it tarnishes our profession and the public’s trust.”
Chala has been relieved of duty with pay pending an investigation, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
He has been charged with battery and false imprisonment. Court records show Chala bonded out of Turner Guilford Knight Correctional on Tuesday.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 10:07 AM.
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Milena Malaver
Miami Herald
