Local News in Brief : Charges in Assault on Actress Dropped

Charges against a man accused of assaulting actress Tracy Scoggins were dropped when the Dynasty television series star failed to appear in an El Paso County court.

An assistant county attorney testified that Miss Scoggins told him the $200 fine the suspect would have received if found guilty did not make it worth her while to make the trip to El Paso for the Thursday hearing.

Scoggins, on location in Los Angeles and unavailable for comment, had said she was assaulted by Pedro Concepcion Padilla, 36, in the elevator at the Marriott Hotel on Feb. 25, 1988, during the Miss USA pageant. Police reports indicate that he pulled down the front of her gown and tried to push her to the floor.

“I’m glad this is over,” said Jose Montes, Padilla’s attorney. “Miss Scoggins got what she wanted out of this, millions of dollars in publicity, while my client has been in jail and facing his family and friends.”