 |
| Ricardo Portillo |
(Scroll down for video) A soccer referee was killed by a teen player who punched him in the face, according to a statement released by Utah police.
The referee who was hit by the angry player during a soccer game last Saturday night, died a week after receiving the fatal blow.
Ricardo Portillo, 46, refereed a soccer match that was held at the Eisenhower Junior High School. During the game, a 17-year-old player was penalized with a yellow card. After getting hit with the penalty, the player punched Portillo in the head, police said.
Portillo’s injuries were considered minor at first, but the swelling eventually led Portillo into a coma and had been in critical condition for a week. As of Thursday, Portillo was still bleeding around the blood vessels that surround part of the brain.
Portillo died Saturday at 9:33 pm, according to a press release from the Unified Police Department.
“This is a terrible incident, as a referee lost his life over a silly game. The teen should face severe punishment in order to send a message to other sports players not to resort to violence,” Lesa Rocha, 39, of Salt lake City, Utah told YourJewishNews.com after learning of portillo’s death.
The 17-year-old was booked into the juvenile detention center after the incident. Police have not revealed his name. The teenager is expected to be indicted by the Office of the District Attorney of Salt Lake County early next week, and could face additional charges in light of the death of Portillo.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view