Dead Over 5-Dollar-Bet; Teenager Kills Friend in Illegal Street Boxing Match

A tragic incident in the Dominican Republic after a teenager was killed via brutal knockout punch while engaging in a friendly bout with his friend. 

Seconds before the lethal blow. Instagram
The tragedy was captured on video two days ago, as 17-year-old Julio César Palmero fell to the ground and hit his head on the asphalt. 

According to the large-circulation daily Diario Libre, Mr. Palmero died while en route to a local hospital shortly after 5pm as a result of a traumatic brain injury which caused encephalitis. 

The Dominican Republic is currently imposing a curfew after 5pm as a result of the spread of COVID-19, meaning that all the participants and spectators are facing jail time due to violating social distancing restrictions. 

As the fight involved illegal gambling and a violation of the national curfew, the teen who delivered the lethal blow initially panicked and fled the scene

The teen who delivered the lethal blow, also 17, was later handed to the police by his mother, Maribel Jiménez Sosa, and members of a human rights group. The teen's name is being withheld due to legal reasons. 

Julio César Palmero was buried yesterday, with his grieving family now dealing with the fact that his childhood friend faces second-degree murder charges.