California Soccer Player Dies Of Injuries Suffered During In-Game Brawl

A California soccer player passed away on Monday of injuries he suffered during a brawl that broke out in the middle of a match two weeks earlier.

On July 10, a large fight broke out between opposing teams and spectators on the field at Oxnard High School. The brawl began over a disagreement over a referee's call.

Misael Sanchez, 29, was attacked by multiple people and was unresponsive and not breathing when first responders arrived on the scene, according to the Oxnard Police report. He was in critical condition and had been in the hospital since the day of the fight.

During the initial police investigation, witnesses assisted police officers in identifying a suspect. Police arrested 46-year-old Berlin Jose Melgara on charges of felony battery in connection to the beating, but believe there are more assailants who were involved in Sanchez’s death.

Police also believe there is a video of the fight and are asking for anyone with any videos to send them to the department.

The cause of death has yet to be determined with an autopsy scheduled for later this week.

"We were not ready for this type of goodbye. At this time, we are asking for your prayers, and if you can contribute financially, it will be greatly appreciated," a GoFundMe set up for Sanchez reads. "The donations will help cover the cost of Misael’s funeral and memorial."

The family has raised over $6,800 of their $20,000 goal since the GoFundMe page was created less than 10 hours ago.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.