A neighbour of actor Charlie Sheen who allegedly tried to choke him at his apartment has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of assault.
Electra Schrock, 47, was officially charged with one count of assault “by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury” after she was arrested for allegedly attacking the Two and a Half Men actor inside his home in Malibu, California.
An initial charge of “assault with a deadly weapon” against Schrock was dropped, according to US media reports.
Schrock, who lives in the same Malibu apartment complex as Sheen, denied assaulting Sheen during a nine-minute arraignment hearing at a Los Angeles court on Tuesday (26 December).
Sheen’s lawyers argued he was left feeling “quite fearful” after the alleged attack at his home on 20 December, as the presiding judge set Schrock’s bail at $75,000 (approximately £59,000) and issued a restraining order against her.
The Independent has contacted Sheen’s representatives for comment.
Citing law enforcement sources, Fox News reported that Sheen “heard knocking on his door” last week and opened it slightly to find his neighbour, Shrock, standing outside.
Sheen was said to be “fearful” following the incident
“Shrock pushed her way into Sheen’s home and began grabbing at him and his neck. Sheen tried to get away from Schrock, but she pursued him through his home,” they were quoted as saying.
She then allegedly “grabbed Sheen’s neck multiple times, eventually ripping his shirt” before he was able to dial 911.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed deputies “identified Charlie Sheen as a victim of assault” after they responded to an incident in western Malibu on 20 December.
Appearing on behalf of Shrock, public defender Randy Kaplan told the court that Sheen did not sustain any injuries during the incident, adding that “it doesn’t seem like anything more than an overfilled misdemeanour battery”.
A preliminary hearing for the case has been set for 8 January.
Sheen is known for playing the role of womanising bachelor Charlie Harper in the hit US sitcom Two and a Half Men, while his film credits include 1980s hits Platoon, Wall Street and Young Guns.
Sheen has five children, including daughter Cassandra with his high sweetheart Paula Speert, daughters Sami and Lola with ex-wife Denise Richards, as well as twin sons Bob and Max with ex-wife Brooke Mueller.
