English Premier League soccer star Romelu Lukaku pleaded not guilty Monday, through his attorney, to an excessive noise complaint lodged after officers responded to five disturbances at a Beverly Hills home where he was staying.
The 24-year-old striker, who also plays for the Belgian national team, was not required to personally appear in court. A pretrial hearing was set for Nov. 21 at the Airport Courthouse.
Beverly Hills police arrested Lukaku and released him at the scene with a citation on July 2.
An attorney representing the city told the BBC that, if found guilty, the soccer player faces both a fine and reimbursement for the police call-outs.
About a week after his arrest, Manchester United announced they had signed a five-year deal for Lukaku worth at least 75 million British pounds or nearly $100 million. Performance add-ons to the contract between Manchester United and Everton, Lukaku’s former team, could bring the total to nearly $120 million, The Telegraph reported.
Lukaku’s 25 goals last season for Everton were the second-highest in the Premier League. And he had an impressive start this season, scoring a goal in every one of his first seven games with Manchester United and matching a record long held by United legend Andrew Cole.
–City News Service