Referee Dies After a Punch to the Face

Last week, Ricardo Portillo, a referee at a recreational soccer game, received a punch in the face after citing a player with an infraction and issuing the player with a yellow card. A yellow card is issued as a warning to a player and a second card results in an ejection from the game. The game was held in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville on April 27. Initially, Portillo only suffered minor injuries, but after being sent to the hospital, it was discovered that he had actually suffered severe internal damage. He was in critical condition for a whole week. Portillo died on Saturday. The 17-year-old's name has not been released because he is a minor, however it has been revealed that he is currently in juvenile detention. He was charged with aggravated assault, but the charges are expected to upgrade with Portillo's death. A similar incident occurred in the Netherlands when two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old beat a linesman during an amateur game. He fell into a coma and later died.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/05/us/utah-soccer-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t2