MIAMI – Mexican actor Pablo Lyle’s wife testified on Friday in his defense after prosecutors rested their case in Miami-Dade County court.
Ana Araujo, a Mexican actress who wed Lyle in 2014 and had two children with him, was in the car three years ago when Lyle punched Jesus Hernandez.
Araujo, 33, said she and Lyle, 35, were with their children when an “aggressive” Hernandez got out of his car to say “nasty things” and bang on the driver’s side window.
“I was already panicking because the children were very scared,” Araujo said.
It was that fear, Lyle’s defense argued, that prompted the father to defend his family. Lyle’s brother-in-law, Lucas Delfino was driving. Lyle was in the front passenger seat. They were in a rush to get to Miami International Airport.
Delfino got off the Dolphin Expressway at Northwest 27th Avenue and sped up in front of Hernandez in his attempt to get back on in the right direction.
Hernandez, 63, protested when they were waiting for the 14th street light to change. Delfino got out of the car, but he forgot to put the car in Park, so he had to run back.
Maria Rizzo, who was in a car nearby, was a witness to the prosecution who said she saw Hernandez “put his hands up” and Lyle hit him anyway.
Surveillance video shows Lyle punching Hernandez, who was left unconscious. Delfino and Lyle got back in the car and drove away.
Araujo said she did not see Lyle punch Hernandez.
Hernandez suffered a head injury and died four days later. Officers arrested Lyle in 2019. A judge denied the “Stand Your Ground” defense.
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