Mexican actor Pablo Lyle convicted of manslaughter in the US

Mexican actor Pablo Lyle was on Tuesday convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a 2019 road rage incident in which he fatally punched a 63-year-old man in Miami, Florida. A jury delivered the verdict in a Miami court, and the sentence is expected to be handed down in late October.

Lyle, known for his roles in Mexican telenovelas as well as the 2019 comedy film Mirreyes vs Godínez, is facing anywhere between nine and 15 years in prison under the Florida sentencing system, The Miami Herald reported. Visibly tense, the 35-year-old actor listened to the verdict in court, where the victim’s relatives were also present.

On the afternoon of March 31, 2019, after a family vacation, the actor and his family were driving to the Miami airport when they got caught up in an argument with another driver, Juan Ricardo Hernández. Video surveillance footage captured the moment, and showed Lyle punching the victim, who fell on the ground. The man died four days later at the hospital due to complications from “blunt trauma to the head,” according to documents released by the Prosecutor’s Office. It was then that Miami authorities forced Lyle to return to the United States to face justice.

Prosecutors told the six members of the jury that the victim’s last words were: “No, please don’t hurt me” before falling to the ground. The actor’s lawyers focused their strategy on the argument that their client just wanted to protect his family and that it was the first time he had been involved in a similar situation. On the advice of his lawyers, the actor decided not to testify during his trial. The defense has also asked the judge to take into account that Lyle has been under house arrest for three and a half years.

Lyle, who is married to a social media influencer named Ana Araujo, worked as an underwear model before embarking on an acting career. He later became a recurring presence in soap operas, but his big break came with the movie Mirreyes vs Godínez, which was released in 2019, a year that marked his greatest success and his biggest downfall.