In the US, a man is charged with burning a child with flares at a soccer match in Orlando City

Oct. 18 (UPI) — Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes has been federally charged in connection with an incident in which a child was burned by a flare during an Orlando City SC soccer game, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said.

The incident occurred during Orlando City’s 0-0 draw against CF Montreal on February 24 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the unsealing of an indictment against the 37-year-old Orlando man with arson of a building resulting in personal injury.

If convicted, Ramirez Reyes faces a sentence of seven to 40 years in federal prison.

Court documents and other information presented at the hearing showed that Ramirez lit two flares and threw them into the crowd during the MLS game. The flares started a major fire that damaged the stadium and burned the child.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Nate will prosecute the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orlando Police Department and the Orlando Fire Department.

Team officials worked with local and federal law enforcement to “identify and hold individuals accountable for multiple violations of stadium policies,” Orlando City said in a statement.

“These violations included the illegal possession and use of a flare at the venue, which ultimately resulted in damage to the stadium and injury to a child in our fan area,” the team said.

“We can confirm that [Thursday]Through the work of the club’s security team and local and federal authorities, an arrest was made. The club can also confirm that additional individuals whose breaches of stadium protocols enabled this offense have also been banned from the venue,” the statement said.

“We continue to emphasize that the safety of our fans, our players or our staff will always be our top priority. Our association will never tolerate actions that endanger or compromise this safety.”

Orlando City SC hosts Atlanta United in the regular season finale on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. EDT in Orlando.