Investigators Arrest Suspect in Assault of Soccer Game Official

On February 21, 2016 at 10:00 AM, officers from Taraval Station responded to Lovie Ward Athletic Field on a call of a soccer referee that was assaulted by a player.  At the time, an adult league was using the fields for games. The player was issued a red card, which resulted in his ejection from the game. The player then ran up to the referee from behind and punched him in the side of his head. This assault resulted in a broken jaw and the loss of several teeth. The player then fled the scene before police arrived. The referee was transported to the hospital and is recuperating from his injuries.

The Taraval Investigations Team (SIT) conducted the follow-up investigation on this incident which resulted in the identification of a suspect. On March 4, 2016 at 7:00 AM, Officers from Taraval SIT served a search warrant at a residence on the 200 block of South 23rd Street in Richmond California.  The search warrant resulted in the arrest of Gabriel Rene Lopezalcocer, male, age 30.  Lopezalcocer was booked into the San Francisco County Jail for one count of battery resulting in serious injury, a felony.  His booking photo accompanies this press release.