Telenovela star accused of road rage can’t go to Mexico, but judge says he can go to church

A judge loosened a Mexican telenovela actor’s house arrest restrictions Thursday morning ahead of his road rage manslaughter trial.

Pablo Lyle, 32, known for starring in “Mi Adorable Maldición” and movies, stood quietly behind his lawyers as they debated with prosecutors about allowing him to return to Mexico to work.

In April, Lyle was caught on video punching 63-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernandez in the face during a road rage incident. Four days after Lyle punched him, Hernandez died from head trauma.

.Lucas Delfino, Lyle’s brother-in-law, was driving Lyle, his wife and two children to Miami International Airport when he cut off Hernandez. Delfino’s son was also in the car.

Hernandez got out of his car and angrily banged on Delfino’s car window. Delfino got out of the car — without parking it — to argue with Hernandez. The car began rolling forward, so Delfino ran to stop it as Hernandez walked to his car.

That’s when Lyle ran toward Hernandez and punched him. Hernandez dropped.

Lyle flew home to Mexico after the incident, but came back to Miami when his lawyer told him about Hernandez’s death. Lyle was initially charged with felony battery for punching Hernandez, but the charged was upgraded to manslaughter after he died. Lyle could be facing up to 15 years in prison.

His defense attorneys, Philip Reizenstein and Bruce Lehr, maintain Lyle was protecting his family from a potentially dangerous attacker.

Mexican media has covered the case closely since it began. The defense attorneys pointed out that Lyle and the case are too well known for him to disappear in Mexico.

“This is not a man who could hide and not a man who wants to hide,” his attorney told the judge.

While Judge Alan Fine agreed Lyle is not a danger to the community, he opted to only amend the terms of his house arrest. Lyle has been on house arrest in his brother-in-law’s late mother’s apartment, according to court records. Fine ruled to allow Lyle to leave the apartment to see lawyers, visit family and go to church as long as he tells police where he is.

State attorney Rachel Morales-Gellis and Lyle’s attorneys also debated on how much of Hernandez’s information the state should hand over to the defense. Lyle’s attorneys filed a motion for the state to provide Hernandez’s date of birth, place of work, medical records and home address to investigate his character. They backed down from asking for his social security number.

Prosecutors told the judge Hernandez’s home address should remain private to protect his family members, who she said have been harassed by the media.

While the defense attorneys will receive Hernandez’s workplace and medical records, Fine did not decide on if they will get his home address.

A trial hearing is scheduled for July 22.

This story was originally published June 6, 2019 at 4:52 PM.