Argentine police are looking for 36-year-old Juan Marcelo Barrionuevo, a futbolista who allegedly killed a referee during a soccer match in Campo de la Ribera on Sunday. In the second half of the game, referee César Flores first gave Barrionuevo, aka Pelado, a yellow card for his unsportsmanlike behavior. He later gave him a red card and ejected him from the game after kicking another player.
After getting a red card, Barrionueva supposedly pulled a 9mm gun out of his bag and shot Flores three times, according to The Guardian. There are conflicting reports about Flores’ age, but it appears that he was in his 40s. “It all happened during the football match,” a police source said. “We don’t know [exactly what took place], but it appears the player was angry, fetched a gun and killed him.”
La Voz reports that Flores – who had four children, with another on the way – was a player as well. He would fill in as referee when there was no one else to do it. In the past, Flores and Pelado had come head-to-head. Pelado was reportedly heard saying, “On top of punishing me last time… Now you do this…”
Barrionuevo also shot 25-year-old Walter Zárate in the chest, but Zárate is not in critical condition.