Police in Virginia have arrested a man after a youth soccer coach was beaten so badly with a metal water bottle that his face fractured.
Prince William County police arrested Blerand Hoxha, 45, of Manassas, and charged him with malicious wounding in the incident at George Hellwig Memorial Park in Manassas over the weekend.
Court records show Hoxha is still in custody following his arrest in connection to the assault on soccer coach Vince Villanueva.
The suspect pleaded guilty in 2014 to using a firearm while committing a felony, according to court records. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Mr. Villanueva told local NBC affiliate WRC-TV he was filling in for a friend by coaching a boys soccer scrimmage when a parent wanted to speak with him.
“I saw one of the players kind of off with his dad, and he looked upset, and I said, ‘Are you ready to go back in?’ The dad said, ‘No, he’s not OK. Can I talk to you?’ and I said, ’Sure,’” the coach told the station.
Mr. Villanueva was looking toward the field as he walked over to the dad. That’s when he heard a metallic “ding” across his head and “realized I was getting hit with a water bottle.”
“I’m pretty sure I was unconscious, so I have no clue what happened,” he told WRC.
When the coach regained consciousness, he was being helped by off-duty first responders. He noticed parents running around and grabbing their children as families panicked about the soccer match becoming a crime scene.
Prince William County police said they arrested Hoxha nearby after the suspect had run away.
A visit to the doctor’s office revealed the coach suffered a fracture to his orbital wall.
Mr. Villanueva coaches the girls soccer team at Potomac Senior High School and also helps run some youth clubs, but he told the station the incident is giving him some pause about keeping those commitments.
“Seeing the escalation of violence toward coaches and game officials and stuff like that within these sports — I’m still processing thinking about, is this something that I want to continue doing?” he said.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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