‘He deserves to be in jail’: Suspect charged, victim recovering after Aventura softball bat attack

AVENTURA, Fla. — A wild scene at an Aventura adult softball game led to felony charges for one of the players.

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Aventura police arrested Roberto Araujo, 41, of Allapattach, after they said he grabbed a metal bat and hit the victim in the back of the head.

“The guy came around the whole group with a bat in his hand, a pink bat at that, and hit him,” said Ana Diaz Matthews, the aunt of the victim, who has since been identified as William Rodriguez.

Photos provided to Local 10 News show the injuries sustained to the back of Rodriguez’s head.

“Willie was on the ground,” said Diaz Matthews. “He just swung as if he was hitting a baseball.”

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The incident happened on Sunday, which was also Father’s Day.

Police said Arajuo fled the scene after striking Williams with the bat, but it was Diaz Matthews who was able to get his license plate number.

“I think he’s an a–hole,” she said. “He deserves to be in jail because he almost killed someone.”

Araujo is facing a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was not listed among Miami-Dade County jail inmates as of Tuesday afternoon.

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