DAYTON, Ohio – A grand jury in Ohio has indicted a minor league pitcher accused of throwing a ball that hit a fan in the forehead.
Julio Castillo, who was pitching for the Peoria Chiefs, is accused of throwing the baseball into the stands during a July 24 game with the Dayton Dragons that featured a 10-minute, bench-clearing brawl. The fan was treated at a hospital and released.
The grand jury in Dayton indicted Castillo on Wednesday on two counts of felonious assault.
The Montgomery County prosecutor's office says Castillo was attempting to hit a Dayton player in the dugout, but instead struck the fan, giving him a concussion.
Defense attorney Dennis Lieberman says Castillo will plead not guilty. Lieberman says the charges aren't justified by the circumstances and his client has a good defense.
Castillo, who was later reassigned to a rookie league in Arizona, is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 13. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted of both counts.
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