Authorities arrested Minnesota United star Emanuel Reynoso in his Argentina hometown early Tuesday morning on allegations he was involved in an armed encounter last weekend.
The prosecutor’s office in Cordoba, Argentina, detained Reynoso while it investigates accusations that — according to multiple media reports translated from Spanish — he used a gun to strike a 16-year-old male in the head at a party early Sunday morning.
Reynoso’s lawyer, Jorge Sanchez del Bianco, told a local television station that Reynoso, 26, was not at the scene and was not involved in an assault the prosecutor’s office called particularly violent.
Sanchez told Cordoba’s El Doce TV station that Reynoso is “absolutely unrelated to any wrongful act.”
The prosecutor’s office in a statement said there’s a “reasonable and justified suspicion” that Reynoso and an unidentified group of five to seven other people participated in committing “different crimes” that included use of a weapon and robbery.
Argentina daily newspaper La Nacion on Monday reported Cordoba authorities were investigating whether Reynoso attacked a minor with the butt of a pistol.
Sanchez told the El Doce TV station “there was a conflict, a fight in the neighborhood where he was,” but denied Reynoso was involved.
He said video footage from that night will “crumble this accusation.” Sanchez also said Reynoso doesn’t appear in any of it “for the simple reason he was not there. We will request the recovery of his freedom, he is unjustly detained.”
He also said video footage from that night will “crumble this accusation.” He also said Reynoso doesn’t appear in any of it “for the simple reason he was not there. We will request the recovery of his freedom, he is unjustly detained.”
Reynoso played three seasons with his hometown Talleres team 2014-2017 before he played three more seasons with famed Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. The Loons acquired him in August 2020 for a Minnesota United record $5 million transfer fee.
The Loons lost a first-round MLS playoff game at Portland last month. Reynoso returned home to Argentina to spend the offseason after that.
Minnesota United said in a Monday statement it is investigating the allegations.
“We are taking this matter seriously and are in the process of gathering as much information as we can,” the statement said. “We have no further comment at this time.”
Correction:
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Emanuel Reynoso was charged. He was arrested and detained but not charged.
