Soccer player arrested after punching referee in the face over a red card, police say
It was a busy night at one of the most popular soccer sanctuaries in Miami-Dade, and Nelson Aviles-Rolon was angry with some calls made by one particular referee.
So he punched him in the face. Then he took off, police said.
Aviles-Rolon hit Yerly Briceno so hard that detectives say they had to interview the referee at a local hospital. On Tuesday, more than two weeks after a video recorded the punch that continues to pick up steam on social media, Aviles-Rolon turned himself in to police. He’s now facing felony charges of aggravated battery and battery.
Briceno, 44, told police that Aviles-Rolon, 33, punched him after the player was issued a red card, which forced him to leave the game and suspended him from the next match.
“The defendant responded by punching Mr. Briceno in the face with a closed fist causing him to fall to the ground,” the arresting Miami-Dade officer wrote.
But Aviles-Rolon’s attorney Rick Hermida said the video clip making its way online is only part of the story. He also said he has additional video that will help exonerate his client. Hermida said words were exchanged before the alleged punch and that his client was knocked to the ground first.
“I think the facts will eventually speak for themselves. There’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye,” Hermida said. “The big story here is the lack of context.”
According to police, Briceno said he had finished officiating several soccer matches on Jan. 8, a Sunday evening at the Kendall Soccer Park, 8011 SW 127th Ave., when Aviles-Rolon, a player on a losing team, approached and insulted him. Police said he was particularly peeved about receiving the red card, forcing him to miss next week’s game.
The referee also told police that once he fell to the ground after the punch, Aviles-Rolon kicked him on the side of the head. Police said another referee who tried to intervene was also punched.
Aviles-Colon turned himself in to police at the Kendall substation on Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 5:00 PM.
