A violent incident marked the end of a youth match of the Liga Caaguazú de Futebol on Sunday (18) in Caaguazú. Player Arnaldo Andrés Lezcano Ramírez, 20, was detained after assaulting referee Jorge Junior Villalba Ortíez, 28, with a punch to the face.
The incident occurred at the Club 8 de Diciembre field, located in the Santa Isabel neighborhood. The match, played between Club 8 de Diciembre and Club Cerro Porteño from the Toro Blanco neighborhood, ended with a 4-1 victory for the home team. Immediately after the final whistle, Lezcano Ramírez, who played for Cerro Porteño, delivered a precise blow to the referee's face, causing a cheekbone fracture, later confirmed at a health center where Villalba was taken by ambulance.
According to the report from the Comisaría 24ª Santa Isabel, the attacker attempted to flee by jumping over the field wall, but was pursued and captured by police officers providing security at the event, a few blocks away. Lezcano Ramírez was taken to the police station lockup and remains at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office.