MIAMI – A Florida judge on Monday set bail at $50,000 and ordered house arrest in Miami for a Mexican soap opera actor accused of punching a man who later died.
A court officer handcuffed actor Pablo Lyle, 32, after a hearing before 11th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Alan Fine.
Lyle currently faces a battery charge that was filed last week, but assistant state attorney Genevieve Valle asked for $1 million bail as her team investigates and considers charging him with second degree murder.
The judge set new conditions for Lyle’s release because 63-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernandez, the man he’s accused of punching, died days later.
“We need to protect the community,” Valle told the judge. “The defendant left the victim lying on the street.”
Defence attorneys said their client would post bail Monday, leave jail and stay at an undisclosed home in the Miami area wearing an ankle monitor. Lyle is a star of the telenovela “Mi Adorable Maldicion,” Spanish for “My Lovely Curse.”
Lyle’s attorney, Philip Reizenstein, said his client was the victim of a road rage incident and was trying to protect his family when he punched Hernandez. Lyle’s wife, two young children and another young child were in the vehicle when the confrontation happened, he said.
“This was about a peaceful man protecting his family. They were assaulted and attacked without warning or provocation” Reizenstein told news reporters after the hearing.
According to Lyle’s account detailed in the arrest affidavit, Lyle and his brother-in-law said they feared for their safety after Hernandez got out of his car at a stoplight to protest Lyle’s brother-in-law cutting him off in traffic.
The affidavit says Hernandez walked up to the driver’s side window, pounded on it with an open hand and the driver, Lyle’s brother-in-law, got out and said “Don’t bang on my window.”
Once the brother-in-law saw his car rolling toward the intersection, he ran back to it and stopped it. The brother-in-law told detectives he didn’t see a physical confrontation between Lyle and Hernandez.
A video appears to show the brother-in-law getting out of his car and arguing before Hernandez can bang on the window. As the brother-in-law runs back to the rolling car, Hernandez heads back toward his car.
Lyle, then, jumps out of the car and runs nine steps back to Hernandez, who is almost to the open door of his car. Hernandez turns to face Lyle and receives a punch in the head before collapsing.
Hernandez’s family attended the hearing Monday and court officials say a member of his family had to receive medical attention after she became unwell. They declined to comment to news reporters.
An arraignment was set for May 1.