Michael Vitar, best known for playing Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez in the classic 1993 baseball film The Sandlot, was arrested last week in Los Angeles and charged with felony assault for a deadly weapon, following an incident that took place on Halloween night.
Here’s more on the story, from Variety:
Michael Vitar, best known for his role in “The Sandlot” as Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez, was arrested last week and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
Vitar was taken into custody Dec. 3 for an incident that happened on Halloween. He and two friends allegedly got into a fight with another man, and his friends have also been charged.
It’s not clear whether or not Vitar and his friends were intoxicated at the time of the alleged assault. Vitar was released last week on $30,000 bail.
TMZ adds more specifics on the fight Vitar and his friends apparently got into with another man:
According to docs, Michael Vitar and 2 friends got into a fight with a 22-year-old man who was walking abound their neighborhood and handing out candy to children. The L.A. County D.A.’s Office says the men chased the victim, jumped him and threw him to the ground.
If convicted, Vitar — now a firefighter — could face up to four years in prison.
This is all sounds very much unlike the all-around good guy and baseball star Vitar played in The Sandlot, where the most trouble he caused was for opposing pitchers on the basepaths, or for massive dogs trying to chase him down. You may also remember Vitar from playing Luis Mendoza in the Mighty Ducks sequels (D2 and D3), where he was a smooth-skating hockey player that didn’t know how to use his brakes.
