Paula Natalia Peri-Cohen is not a member of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, but on a Saturday in March, police were called by staff to remove her from the premises for being intoxicated and causing a disturbance, she attempted to jump in the pool.
Before officers arrived, staff had managed to walk Peri-Cohen to an unoccupied lounge room, according to incident reports dated March 28. The Yacht Club manager wanted her to leave and not return.
“While speaking to the defendant, I attempted to make contact with the defendant’s husband in an attempt to de-escalate the situation and have him pick her up,” Key Biscayne Officer Israel Reyes stated in his report. “While speaking with the husband by phone, the defendant stood up and lunged towards me with an open hand, attempting to claw me with her long nails.”
Peri-Cohen was arrested and charged with three felony counts of resisting arrest with violence, three felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct in a public place causing a disturbance. She was released the following day on bond.
Her next scheduled court appearance is an arraignment hearing on May 27. She has been appointed a public defender to represent her. She has pleaded not guilty.
In this image provided by Miami-Dade Corrections, Paula Natalia Peri-Cohen is seen , March 28, 2026 (KBI via Miami-Dade corrections)
When reached on Monday afternoon and given the opportunity to comment on her arrest, Peri-Cohen hung up the phone.
At the time of her arrest, her speech was slurred, her eyes bloodshot and her breath smelled of alcohol, officer Orlando Baldo wrote in his report.
“The defendant resisted with erratic behavior, including screaming, tensing her body and kicking her legs,” Reyes added.
Officers were able to lay her on her stomach on one of the couches and handcuff her, but she continued to resist.
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“As officers escorted the defendant to the police vehicle, the defendant headbutted Officer (Dayana) Perez, striking her head and chest. Then while being placed inside the police vehicle, the defendant was screaming, banged her head on the glass and began kicking the windows,” Baldo wrote.
Officer Tiffany Knepper was forced to stop the patrol car at the intersection of Harbor Drive and Fernwood Road after Peri-Cohen reportedly began to kick the windows and hit her head on the plastic partition again. When Knepper opened the backseat door, Peri-Cohen kicked her in the forearm, according to reports.
She was ultimately calmed down and taken to Miami-Dade Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Peri-Cohen’s small dog, which she had with her at the Yacht Club, was taken to the police station until her mother arrived shortly thereafter to pick the dog up.
This isn’t the first time a confrontation between Peri-Cohen and Key Biscayne police turned violent.
On Oct. 23, 2023, a Department of Children and Families investigator came to her Key Colony condo as part of a mandatory investigation triggered by a domestic violence case that had occurred the night before. The DCF investigator needed to speak with Peri-Cohen’s child, who had been home during the incident.
Peri-Cohen allegedly responded by coming into the lobby, screaming obscenities and kicking her, police said.The investigator called the police. But when officers attempted to handcuff her, she began flaying her arms and kicked one officer in the thigh. She later kicked a second officer in the thigh twice while walking to the patrol car, police said.
She was charged with misdemeanor attempted battery and two felony counts of resisting arrest with violence at the time.
The related domestic violence case was also dismissed.
The charges were dropped In December 2024, however, after Peri-Cohen successfully completed a pre-trial diversion program.
Jessica De Leon is a general assignment reporter at the Key Biscayne Independent.