A man has been charged with "arson of a building that led to personal injuries" after releasing two flares into the stands at an Orlando City match at Inter&Co stadium in Orlando, Florida, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
If convicted, Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years and up to 40 years in federal prison, the government said in a statement.
According to the unsealed indictment, Ramirez Reyes lit up the flares before tossing them into the crowd on Feb. 24 when Orlando City hosted CF Montreal for the inaugural match of the 2024 Major League Soccer season.
The flares subsequently caused burns to a child attending the game and caused damage to the stadium when producing a fire, the indictment said, with the defendant charged with committing "one or more violations of federal criminal law" that will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
"Since February, our Club has been diligently working with local and federal law enforcement to identify and hold individuals accountable for severe violations of Inter&Co Stadium policies," said Orlando City SC in a statement.
Flares were lit up in Orlando City's home opener against CF Montreal on Feb. 24. Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
"These violations included 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 can confirm that today, through the work of the Club's security team as well as local and federal agencies, an arrest has been made. The Club can also confirm that additional individuals, whose violation(s) of stadium protocols enabled this offense, have also received bans from the venue.
"We continue to emphasize that the safety and security of our fans, our players or our staff will always be our number one priority. Our Club will never tolerate any actions that jeopardize or impact that assurance."
Ramirez Reyes of Orlando was arrested on Oct. 15 but pleaded not guilty to the charges stated in the indictment. His hearing is set to take place on Nov. 12 at the Orlando Federal Courthouse, with a trial scheduled for Dec. 2.
Source: espn.co.uk