Teen Pleads Guilty In Utah Referee’s Death

As was reported by The Inquisitr back in May, Ricardo Portillo was a soccer referee who was put into a coma by a teen after penalizing him in a game. Portillo later died from his injuries. His killer has entered a guilty plea in a Utah court on August 5. He was charged with homicide by assault, which is a third-degree felony.

The teen will serve time in a juvenile detention facility until he is 21 years old. In addition to serving time in the facility, 3rd District Judge Kimberly Hornak has ordered the youth to hang a picture of Portillo in his cell. The photo will be chosen by a member of the Portillo family. The judge also ordered the teen to write the Portillo family a weekly letter detailing his personal improvement.

The guilty teen attempted to explain himself in court. “I was frustrated, hit the ref and caused his death,” Fox News 13reported. He went on say that he acted impulsively, that he has since learned his lesson, and apologized. Judge Hornak noted that the teen had no prior criminal history. The teen also was in advanced placement classes

The Portillo family had mixed reactions to the apology. Ana, one of Ricardo’s daughters, said the teen “should have taken a deep breath” to calm himself down instead of striking her father. Johana, another one of the victim’s daughters, felt the punishment should have been harsher but also feels the teen does deserve a second chance in life. “We have the right to feel anger now.” she said. Both families were emotionally moved by the end of the sentencing.

In a historic twist, the juvenile courts of Utah allowed cameras in the courtroom for the first time ever. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, this came about after various media outlets in the state lobbied the courts.