MURRAY, Utah (AP) — A longtime Utah soccer referee in a coma after being punched by a teenager during a weekend game had been attacked by other angry players before, but he continued refereeing because he loved the game, his family says.
Ricardo Portillo, 46, has swelling in his brain and his recovery is uncertain as he remains in critical condition, Dr. Shawn Smith said Thursday at the Intermountain Medical Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray.
Police say a 17-year-old player in a recreational soccer league punched Portillo on Saturday after the man called a foul on him and issued him a yellow card. The teen has been booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of aggravated assault. Those charges could be amplified if Portillo dies.
Portillo’s oldest daughter, 26-year-old Johana Portillo, said at a news conference Thursday that her father has been attacked by other players before — even having his ribs and leg broken.
Friday is Ricardo Portillo’s youngest daughter’s 16th birthday, and the family was planning to leave on vacation Thursday, Johana Portillo said. Instead, they have set up a bank fund in case their father dies.
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