A youth basketball coach in Pennsylvania and her 70-year-old father were arrested after allegedly attacking an opposing team’s coach and his wife in front of their young daughter, police said.
Brittany Ortiz, 38, and her father, William Stanley, face multiple charges stemming from a Feb. 1 incident at Holy Child School at Rosemont, a Catholic elementary school, according to Lower Merion Police.
Ortiz, an assistant coach for one of the teams, reportedly began shouting and cursing during a game between 7- and 8-year-old players in the Malvern Basketball League, which is not affiliated with the school, NBC10 reported. Stanley allegedly argued with the opposing team’s coach during the game, according to an affidavit obtained by the outlet.
After the game, the conflict escalated near the gym entrance. Ortiz allegedly grabbed the opposing coach’s wife by her hair and slammed her to the floor, striking her head. As the coach tried to intervene, Stanley allegedly hit him in the head. Ortiz reportedly kicked the coach in the inner thigh while attempting to strike him in the groin, the complaint said.
The couple’s 3-year-old daughter was reportedly present during the attack and sustained a bruise on her leg, the complaint added. The coach suffered bruising to his thigh, while his wife experienced a concussion, scalp contusions, and hair loss.
Ortiz has been charged with assault on a sports official, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, and harassment. She is being held on $10,000 bail, court records show.
Police have also requested charges against Stanley, who later surrendered. His attorney, Nathan Schadler, told NBC10 that Stanley was hospitalized with broken bones and a head injury. “We will be doing our own investigation and speaking to people who were there. My client asserts his innocence, and it was his family who called 911 and asked police to respond,” Schadler said.