MIAMI – A man suffered a head injury from a fall after a Mexican actor's single punch during a road rage incident Sunday, according to the Miami Police Department. He died at Jackson Memorial Hospital, a hospital employee confirmed Thursday on behalf of his family.
A witness told police officers that Pablo Lyle, a 32-year-old Mexican celebrity who was visiting Miami, was on his way to the Miami International Airport with his family when an enraged driver used his open hand to pound on the window of the car he was in.
Juan Ricardo Hernandez, 63, was allegedly angry after the witness, the driver who was with Lyle, cut him off in an attempt to make a U-turn at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 14th Street, according to the police report.
Witnesses told police officers the driver and Lyle also got out of their cars to confront Hernandez, who was shouting expletives, according to the police report. In response to Hernandez's hostility, Lyle said he punched him once because he was scared for his family's safety, police said.
Witnesses said Lyle's knockout blow caused Hernandez's fall, police said.
Lyle said his 6-year-old son, Mauro, was in the back seat, police said. He is married to Ana Araujo, and aside from Mauro, they also have a daughter named Arantza. He decided to run back to the car and asked the driver to hurry up and leave after he saw another man running toward them, police said.
Witnesses said they left Hernandez unconscious on the street, police said.
Lyle and the driver he was with surrendered to police after dropping off his family at the airport, police said. Officers arrested him Sunday and he appeared in Miami-Dade County court Monday, facing a battery charge.
Lyle is out on a $5,000 bond, and Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Lisa Walsh allowed him to travel.
Lyle didn't mention the incident on social media, but he did publish a photo Wednesday with Mauro, Arantza, Araujo, a boy, a baby and three adults on Instagram with a caption saying, "What really matters."