Soccer Referee Punched During Charity Game In Woodland
WOODLAND (CBS13) -– Woodland police are investigating after a referee was attacked on the soccer field by a player upset over a call.
Police were called to the Woodland Community Center on East Street on Sunday at about 7:42 p.m. during an adult charity game sponsored by the Woodland Adult Soccer League.
When officers arrived they found the referee, 33-year-old Juan Garcia, on the field. However, the suspect had already left the area.
Witnesses told officers that the suspect, identified as Freddie Garcia, punched Juan Garcia in the neck after Garcia "red-carded" another player for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Police later contacted Freddie Garcia and said he is cooperating. He has not been arrested because battery on a sports official is classified as a misdemeanor. The case has been handed over to the Yolo County District Attorney's Office.
The league says it wants Garcia prosecuted.
"When it comes to violence, we have zero tolerance for that," league president Luis Sanchez said.
The league says the player has been banned for life. Sanchez said the referee volunteered his time for the charity game, a fundraiser for a cancer victim.
