The incident occurred in a park in Novato, California (United States)
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A Novato, California, man has been arrested on suspicion of attacking two boys who interfered with his tennis match at Pioneer Park, police said. The incident was reported at 7:30 pm Wednesday, police Lt. Michael Howard said.
The police said that Olaf Becker, 61 years old: “he had asked two children, 7 and 8 years old, to stop throwing objects at the tennis courts where he played”, but the children did not pay attention to him, so the man approached they. “It appears that Becker struck both boys, resulting in minor injuries to one of them,” the lieutenant added.
Apparently, one of them suffered a minor injury. Novato paramedics evaluated both boys and then released them to their parents. Becker was arrested on suspicion of child abuse and bodily injury to a child and booked into the Marin County Jail, but has been released pending a review by the Marin County Prosecutor’s Office.
Becker was contacted Thursday night and said he confronted the boys but denied hitting them. “I grabbed one of the children and from his shirt I told them that this was not right”, after the minors repeatedly threw wood chips and sticks onto the tennis court. “It’s completely exaggerated. For them it was more of a, whatever, they tried to find their limits and obviously they did not respect any adult, “added the man.
The nine-acre Parek, where it all happened, features a playground, a large grassy area, four tennis courts and a historic cemetery.
About the author
Francisco Vargas: Twitter @VargasPacho. Journalist specialized in tennis with 8 years of experience in the different circuits of the ATP and WTA. Voice Over at international events.
