WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — One person was injured and three were arrested after a brawl at a travel baseball tournament in Winter Haven, Florida, on Saturday.
According to the Winter Haven Police Department, officers responded at 6:20 p.m. to reports of a fight at the Chain of Lakes Complex baseball fields, located at 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd.
At the scene, officers said they found two people hurt. One was a 21-year-old umpire who had been officiating a game, and the other was his father, who was watching from the stands.
Police said that during the game, the umpire gave a verbal warning to the coach of one of the teams playing in the tournament, 25-year-old Marcos Antonio Aballi.
Following the warning, police reported that the father of the umpire was approached by Yosmany Guzman Fernandez, 38, the father of one of the players on Aballi’s team.
Police said Fernandez was displeased with the warning and pushed the victim before punching him in the face.
Fernandez and both the umpire and his father have had negative encounters in the past, according to authorities.
Seeing his father being attacked by Fernandez, the umpire left the field in an attempt to separate the two but was punched from behind by Aballi. The umpire then fell to the ground, where members of the coach’s team joined the fight.
Police said a witness jumped on the umpire in an attempt to shield him from the attack but was also struck.
According to Winter Haven police, Fernandez’s 17-year-old son, who was on the team, joined the fight and began kicking the umpire while he was on the ground.
The umpire was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries. His father did not require medical attention.
“There is absolutely no room for parents to ruin what should be a great showcase of sports talent during these tournaments,” Police Chief Vance Monroe said. “The talent of players should be in the spotlight, not the actions of these instigators.”
The Winter Haven Police Department arrested Fernandez, his 17-year-old son and Aballi. All three were charged with battery on a sports official during an event.