Police Officer Accused of Taking Potshot at Potted Plant in Lovers’ Spat

An off-duty Monterey Park police officer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to firing a gun behind her Glendale home and assaulting a police officer who stopped to investigate.

Grace Cortez, 34, allegedly shot at a potted plant on Dec. 16 while imagining that the plant was her boyfriend’s head, according to authorities. The incident, authorities said, followed an argument with her boyfriend--the real one, not the plant.

Cortez, who was on medical leave from the Monterey Park Police Department at the time the shot was allegedly fired, is accused of two felonies--discharging a weapon with gross negligence within city limits and battery on a law enforcement officer. Police did not explain the charge of battery.

Cortez faces a maximum of four years in state prison if convicted on both felony counts, said deputy district attorney Lonnie Felker.

But Felker added that the charges may change before Cortez’s next court date.

“We’re still looking into the case,” he said.

Cortez turned herself in Wednesday, hours after Glendale police issued a warrant for her arrest.

“We wanted to make sure all of our ducks were lined up right before an arrest was made,” said Sgt. Rick Young, of the Glendale Police Department. “We wanted to make sure we did everything right and had it all down right.”

Young said that on the night of the incident, a Glendale police officer heard a shot fired in the vicinity of Cortez’s Valihi Way home at around 9:40 p.m. Shortly thereafter, a man ran down the street toward the officer.

The officer asked the man--later identified as Paul Aghilipour--if he knew anything about the gunshot, according to Young. Aghilipour said he had just broken up with his girlfriend and that she was upset.

“I’m married,” Aghilipour told the officer. “I don’t want my wife to know.”

Cortez emerged from her home screaming obscenities at Aghilipour, Young said, claiming that the man had lied about his marital status.

A court hearing on the case will be held later this month, Felker said.

The Monterey Park Police Department did not return calls Wednesday regarding Cortez.