A bench-clearing fight broke out at a teen travel baseball tournament in Winter Haven, Florida, after a call on the field set off a confrontation that quickly escalated, police said.
According to authorities, the incident happened the evening of Jan. 17, about 50 miles southwest of Orlando. Police said an umpire issued a warning to Marcos Antonio Aballi, 25, a coach for one of the teams.
Investigators allege that Yosmany Guzman Fernandez — the father of a player on Aballi’s team — became furious and approached the umpire’s father, someone police said Fernandez already had an ongoing dispute with. The confrontation allegedly turned physical, with Fernandez pushing the man and then punching him.
As the scuffle unfolded, the umpire reportedly stepped in to try to stop the fight. Police allege he was then struck from behind — “sucker punched,” according to the department — by Aballi.
With the situation spiraling, players from Aballi’s team allegedly rushed out of the dugout and joined in, turning the dispute into a wider brawl.
Police said one witness tried to protect the umpire by getting on top of him and was hit during the chaos. Officers also allege Fernandez’s 17-year-old son, who plays on Aballi’s team, entered the fight and kicked the umpire while he was on the ground.
The teen was eventually pulled away, police said, but allegedly “immediately re-engage[d]” once he was released.
The umpire was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His father did not need medical care, authorities said.
Aballi, Fernandez and Fernandez’s 17-year-old son were arrested and charged with battery on a sports official during an event, police said. Fernandez also faces an additional charge of simple battery. The two adults were booked into the Polk County Jail in Winter Haven, while the teen was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow.
Police said Aballi was released on a $5,000 bond and Fernandez was released on a $6,000 bond. The status of the teen was not immediately clear.
It was not immediately known whether any of the defendants had entered pleas or hired attorneys.
