46 Year Old Soccer Coach Dies After Punch by 17 Year Old

[DiamondSmiles]

Ricardo Portillo, Utah Soccer Referee, Dies After Being Punched by Teenage Player

Updated: May 5, 2013 11:02 AM

MURRAY, Utah - A 46-year-old soccer referee who was punched by a teenage player during a game and later slipped into a coma has died, police said.

Ricardo Portillo of Salt Lake City passed away at the hospital, where he was being treated following the assault last weekend, Unified police spokesman Justin Hoyal said Saturday night.

Police have accused a 17-year-old player in a recreational soccer league of punching Portillo after the man called a foul on him and issued him a yellow card.

"The suspect was close to Portillo and punched him once in the face as a result of the call," Hoyal said in a press release.

The teen, whose name hasn't been released because of his age, has been booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of aggravated assault. Hoyal said authorities will consider additional charges since Portillo has died.

An autopsy is planned. No cause of death was released.

Portillo suffered swelling in his brain and had been listed in critical condition, Dr. Shawn Smith said Thursday at the Intermountain Medical Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray.

The victim's family, which publicly spoke of Portillo's plight this past week, has asked for privacy, Hoyal said.

Johana Portillo, 26, said last week that she wasn't at the April 27 game in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville, but she said she's been told by witnesses and detectives that the player hit her father in the side of the head.

"When he was writing down his notes, he just came out of nowhere and punched him," she said.

Accounts from a police report, Portillo's daughter and others offer more details about what occurred.

The teenager was playing goalie during a game at Eisenhower Junior High School in Taylorsville when Portillo issued him a yellow card for pushing an opposing forward trying to score a goal. In soccer, a yellow card is given as a warning to a player for an egregious violation of the rules.

The teenager, quite a bit heavier than Portillo, began arguing with the referee, then unleashed a punch to his face. Portillo seemed fine at first, then asked to be held because he felt dizzy. He sat down and started vomiting blood, triggering his friend to call an ambulance.

When police arrived around noon, the teenager was gone and Portillo was laying on the ground in the fetal position. Through translators, Portillo told EMTs that his face and back hurt and he felt nauseous. He had no visible injuries and remained conscious. He was considered to be in fair condition when they took him to the Intermountain Medical Center.

But when Portillo arrived to the hospital, he slipped into a coma with swelling in his brain. Johana Portillo called detectives to let them know his condition had worsened.

That's when detectives intensified their search for the goalie. By Saturday evening, the teenager's father agreed to bring him down to speak with police.

Portillo's family said he had been attacked before, and Johanna Portillo said she and her sisters begged their father to stop refereeing because of the risk from angry players, but he continued because he loved soccer.

"It was his passion," she said. "We could not tell him no."

Photos below: Portillo, his family, and brother-in-law

[5umguy24]

I wonder if they're going to charge murder on the 17 year old?

[Darkest Angel]

How very sad

[DiamondSmiles]

I want to see this kid and know his name. Anyone at that game knows, but, I don't know anyone there.

[Megamel29]

"Portillo seemed fine at first, then asked to be held because he felt dizzy. He sat down and started vomiting blood, triggering his friend to call an ambulance."

Holy shit. That's crazy.

This is a tough case. I mean, the kid lead to the man's death, but did he intend to kill him? I doubt it. Is that a factor, whether or not there was intent to kill?

[xstunt1ngx]

Originally Posted by Megamel29

"Portillo seemed fine at first, then asked to be held because he felt dizzy. He sat down and started vomiting blood, triggering his friend to call an ambulance."

Holy shit. That's crazy.

This is a tough case. I mean, the kid lead to the man's death, but did he intend to kill him? I doubt it. Is that a factor, whether or not there was intent to kill?

They will probably try him for involuntary manslaughter.

Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, either express or implied. It is distinguished from voluntary manslaughter by the absence of intention. It is normally divided into two categories; constructive manslaughter and criminally negligent manslaughter, both of which involve criminal liability.

Kind of fucked up how if the dumb ass kid didn't have such a hot temper none of this would of happened...

[güttsfükk]

essentially the referee is supposed to be the law on the sports field. wonder what would have happened if the person in charge whom he punched was a cop. which could happen since he obviously has no respect for authority


things like this is where sayings like "rugby is a hooligans sport played by gentlement while football is a gentlement's sport played by hooligans" come from.

[DiamondSmiles]

Supposedly, the kid was in hiding for a couple of days. He knew he did wrong.

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by Megamel29

"Portillo seemed fine at first, then asked to be held because he felt dizzy. He sat down and started vomiting blood, triggering his friend to call an ambulance."

Holy shit. That's crazy.

This is a tough case. I mean, the kid lead to the man's death, but did he intend to kill him? I doubt it. Is that a factor, whether or not there was intent to kill?

Head injuries are tough.

They should send the coach's brain to the Brain Institute in Massachusetts.

I think the kid should suffer some kind of punishment.

Even if he didn't mean to kill him, he either got him in a place to cause damage, or the coach had a medical condiiton.

Even young kid are dying from injuries during sporting events.

[Pyramid_Head]

Most likely manslaughter seeing as I doubt the 17 year old meant to kill him.