PHOTO VIA ORLANDO CITY SC FACEBOOK
A federal jury in Orlando has convicted a 38-year-old man of arson resulting in injury for throwing marine flares into a crowd during a Major League Soccer match at Inter&Co Stadium.
Prosecutors say the defendant, Giovanni Isai Ramirez Reyes, lit two flares and intentionally hurled them into a crowded part of the supporter section of the stadium filled with spectators during a game between Orlando City SC and CF Montréal. The flares not only sparked a fire that damaged stadium infrastructure but also resulted in burn injuries to a four-year-old child who was in attendance.
According to court testimony and evidence presented at trial, after throwing the flares, Ramirez Reyes attempted to evade detection by moving to another section of the stadium and altering his appearance. Surveillance footage later helped law enforcement identify and apprehend him. Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Orlando Police Department, and the Orlando Fire Department worked together on the case, which was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Ramirez Reyes faces a mandatory minimum of seven years in federal prison under the arson conviction, and he could be sentenced to as much as 40 years when he returns to court for his sentencing hearing on January 12, 2026.
