Jury selection began Tuesday in the case of Pablo Lyle, the Mexican actor awaiting trial for allegedly punching an elderly man who later died during a 2019 road rage dispute.
Lyle, who lives in his sister's house in Miami, faces a manslaughter charge in the incident but maintains that he is innocent. A judge previously had denied Lyle's attempt to use Florida's so-called "Stand Your Ground" law in the case.
Some who were in the first pool of potential jurors said they recognized Lyle or have heard about the case. One potential juror told the judge others were talking about the case in the hallway, prompting the judge to remind members of the pool how that was out of line and they should not be discussing the case with anybody.
The incident in question took place in 2019 at the end of March, when Lyle's brother-in-law was taking him, his wife and two children to the airport in Miami.
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Before reaching the airport, the group ran into an altercation with 63-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernández. Security footage showed Hernández getting out of his vehicle at a red light and approaching the window of Lyle's car to accuse them of having cut him off.
The brother-in-law got out of his car and began to argue with Hernández, but when he saw the car begin to move, he got back in. Lyle got out of the passenger's seat and ran towards Hernández, and footage showed him hitting the man's face.
Hernández was left motionless on the ground while Lyle and his family left. The actor was detained a few hours later at the airport, where he'd been planning on catching a flight to Mexico.
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Hernández was pronounced dead at the hospital four days later later due to an brain injury caused by the trauma.
