A Utah teen accused of punching a soccer referee who later died was charged Wednesday with homicide by assault, a count issued when an attack unintentionally causes death, according to The Associated Press. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill also said he will seek to try the teen as an adult in the death of Ricardo Portillo, 46, who passed away after a week in a coma.
The charge is less serious than manslaughter. It carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison for adults, but juveniles can receive less penalty time.
Gill told the Associated Press that it became clear in looking at the facts that the teenager's actions didn't amount to murder or manslaughter. "We did not believe we could demonstrate the premeditation or intent to justify those charges," Gill told The Associated Press. "Those other charges require another type of mental state. We did not believe that type of mental state was present."
With the teenager turning 18 soon and the severity of what happened, Gill will push to have him tried as an adult. The chance of the teen's rehabilitation is minimal, prosecutors said in court documents. A juvenile court judge will ultimately rule on the request.
The 17-year-old, whose name is being withheld by The Associated Press because he's a minor, has been in juvenile detention since April 27 when the accident occurred during a recreational-league soccer match in a Salt Lake City suburb. Authorities notified the AP that the teenager was playing goalie when Portillo called a penalty on him for pushing an opposing player. After the teenager began arguing, he struck Portillo in the head.
Portillo was taken to the hospital in fair condition. Hours later, he went into a coma and never regained consciousness. Portillo died on Saturday.
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