On Wednesday, a dad was detained after physically punching an umpire at his child’s baseball game.
The altercation apparently occurred when the umpire, 63-year-old handicapped veteran Ray Mora, advised the assailant’s son to settle down after he was being unruly and unsportsmanlike at the game.
“I’ve never met him. “I don’t even know what his face looks like,” the umpire stated of Gonzalez.
Then, 41-year-old Jorge Aponte Gonzalez approached the Mora and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Gonzalez was charged with felony violence and disrupting a school function following the now-viral incident at Liberty High School in Osceola County, Florida.
In the state of Florida, felony battery can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
Gonzalez apparently sought to rationalize his conduct by claiming he was ‘defending his son,’ but the Osceola County Sheriff, Marco Lopez, stated that it indicated he had no remorse for his acts.
Gonzalez had previously been disruptive at his son’s high school baseball games, according to the Sheriff.
Lopez went on to say that the father’s actions set a bad example for his youngster.
“You need to teach your kids how to conduct themselves in society, not be disruptive or violent, especially at any type of events like this,” he said.
FOX News Reports:
A dad watching a high school baseball game was arrested after deputies say he punched the umpire. pic.twitter.com/D0LWIOlHKN
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) May 6, 2023
“One of the players started to verbally argue with the umpire, exchanging words. So the umpire is obviously going to maintain control of the game, because that’s what they are there to do – to make sure kids learn all about sportsmanlike conduct,” Sheriff Marco Lopez said during a press conference.
Video of the altercation shows an unsuspecting Mora walking away from the field between innings as Aponte-Gonzalez approaches him from behind.
“As his back is turned … one of the high school students’ fathers that’s in the game, leaves the stands, walks directly toward the umpire and just knocks him out. Just knocks him out right there on the ground,” Lopez said.
“The kid was being disruptive, so the umpire’s like, ‘Hey, tone it down,’ maintaining control,” Lopez said. “They went back and forth a little bit.
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