California authorities arrested a 50-year-old youth football coach Saturday after he allegedly punched a 14-year-old boy in the face who was playing for the opposing team.
Murrieta Police Department (MPD) responded to a disturbance during a youth tackle football recreation league game at Vista Murrieta High School at approximately 5:42 p.m., MPD wrote in a press release.
“Officers determined a coach, Eibylardo Funes (age 50), had struck a 14-year-old player from the opposing team,” MPD wrote.
The altercation reportedly left the young player with an eye injury and symptoms of a concussion.
“The coach comes running with like two other players, and right in front of me, he hits Harlem,” the boy’s mother, Neenah Kaowii, told ABC. “He goes unconscious for like two minutes and as he’s waking up, as he … looks like he’s trying to wake up. He’s trying to open his eyes … he goes into a full seizure mode.”
Funes was taken into custody and arrested on charges of child abuse and battery, per the press release. The youth football league is not affiliated with the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, and the district does not employ Funes, MPD wrote.
Both teams were suspended after the altercation.
“So the message that they’re sending is … it’s ok for an adult to hit a child, and that child and his team has to suffer the consequences,” Kaowili told ABC.
This incident remains the subject of an ongoing MPD investigation. Authorities encourage anyone with information about the case to come forward.