If convicted, 37-year-old Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes faces a minimum penalty of seven, maximum 40, years in federal prison.
During the Lions’ season opener against CF Montreal at Inter&Co Stadium on Feb. 24, Ramirez Reyes lit two flares and tossed them into the packed crowd, according to court documents. The situation escalated as a fire broke out, damaging the stadium and leaving a child in attendance with burns.
Following the offense, team officials and local law enforcement worked to identify those responsible for “severe violations” of stadium policy, according to a statement from Orlando City SC. The violations include “illegal possession and usage of a flare in the venue, ultimately resulting in damages to the stadium and injuries to a child located in our Supporters Section.”
“We continue to emphasize that the safety and security of our fans, our players or our staff will always be our number one priority,” they said. “Our Club will never tolerate any actions that jeopardize or impact that assurance.”
The local soccer club went on to confirm other attendees who violated stadium protocol to enable the incident are banned from the site.
Ramirez Reyes was arrested Tuesday but pleaded not guilty to the indictment’s charge. A hearing at the Orlando Federal Courthouse is scheduled for Nov. 12, with an official trial date of Dec. 2.
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This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2024.