Man Charged With Felony Assault After Soccer Tournament Incident in Inver Grove Heights
Dakota County Jail Booking Photo
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA - A man has been charged with felony third-degree assault after authorities allege he struck an opposing player during a soccer tournament in Inver Grove Heights, leaving the player with a broken nose that required surgery.
Rayan Louis Tolentino-Pubill, born in 2004, is charged in Dakota County District Court with third-degree assault involving substantial bodily harm, according to the criminal complaint.
The charge stems from an alleged assault on Aug. 30, 2026, at a park in Inver Grove Heights.
According to the complaint, law enforcement responded to the park after receiving a report of an assault during a soccer tournament. The alleged victim told officers he had been struck by a player on the opposing team and believed his nose was broken.
When officers arrived, they observed the man's nose was bleeding, his lip was swollen and the area around his eyes was beginning to turn purple, according to the probable cause statement.
The man told police that he and Tolentino-Pubill had been running down the field while neither had possession of the ball. He alleged Tolentino-Pubill then elbowed him in the face and pulled on his lip with his hand.
The complaint alleges the man fell to his knees following the encounter and experienced dizziness and blurred vision.
A witness identified in police reports told authorities he had been watching the tournament and saw Tolentino-Pubill strike the man in the face while the two were running down the field without possession of the ball, according to the complaint. The witness also described Tolentino-Pubill as playing aggressively.
When speaking with law enforcement, Tolentino-Pubill said he had been afraid and was defending himself, according to the complaint.
The alleged victim was later determined to have suffered a broken nose that required surgery.
Tolentino-Pubill is charged with one felony count of third-degree assault — substantial bodily harm. Under Minnesota law, the charge carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
The allegations contained in a criminal complaint are accusations and have not been proven in court. Tolentino-Pubill is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.