A referee who was left in a coma after being
punched by a teenage player during a game a
week ago has died.
Ricardo Portillo, 46, of Salt Lake City, died in the
hospital where he was being treated following
the assault on Saturday night.
Police have accused a 17-year-old player of
punching Mr Portillo after he gave him a yellow
card for a foul.
Spokesman Justin Hoyal said: "The suspect was
close to Portillo and punched him once in the face
as a result of the call."
The teenager has been booked into juvenile
detention on suspicion of aggravated assault. Mr
Hoyal said authorities will consider additional
charges following the referee's death.
The cause of death has not been given. An
autopsy is to be carried out later.
Mr Portillo suffered swelling in his brain and had
been listed as being in a critical condition at the
Intermountain Medical Centre in Murray, Salt
Lake City, where he was treated.
Johana Portillo, 26, said last week she had been
told by witnesses that the player hit her father in
the side of the head.
She said: "When he was writing down his notes,
he just came out of nowhere and punched him."
The teenager was playing in goal during a junior
high school match when he was cautioned for
pushing an opposition player.
He began arguing with Mr Portillo before
punching him in the face.
Mr Portillo asked to be held up because he felt
dizzy, but then sat down and began vomiting
blood.
By the time an ambulance arrived he had fallen
into a coma.
His family said he had been attacked before while
refereeing games. Johana said they had begged
him to stop because of the risk from angry
players.
She said: "It was his passion. We could not tell
him no."