Man Charged With Killing 25-Year-Old Rival Pop Warner Fan
MONTEREY PARK (CBSLA.com) — A 22-year-old Bakersfield man was charged Wednesday with killing a man over a Pop Warner rivalry.
Prosecutors said Jose De Jesus Ruis fatally stabbed 25-year-old Patrick Raymond Ortega on Saturday after an argument escalated into a physical fight at a Shakey's pizza restaurant in Monterey Park.
According to parent Juan Barajas, word within the youth football league is that the incident stemmed from a rivalry between the East L.A. Bobcats, the original team in the area, and the East L.A. Bulldogs.
"One wanted to be the main team in that city," Barajas said.
The president of the East L.A. Bobcats told KCAL9's Juan Fernandez that the team is not ready to comment on the situation.
Parents of kids who play on the football teams said Pop Warner has a strict code of conduct.
They insist on respectful, courteous and sportsmanlike behavior both on and off the field.
