The family of a teenager killed by a train filed a lawsuit today. They said they want to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening again.
Jesus Maria Villalobos Lobo was impressive at home plate and behind it. The 16-year-old catcher came thousands of miles from his home in Colombia to attend Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach.
It’s a boarding school for promising athletes.
Villalobos' life cut short last December. He was walking down the Florida East Coast Railway tracks behind the school wearing headphones when a train hit and killed him.
“His mother’s grief, her sorrow, her pain, cannot be described in words,” said Scott Smith, an attorney with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey and Fronrath.
He filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Villalobos's mom.
The suit claims the school, FEC, and others failed to keep Villalobos safe.
“To protect his welfare, health, and wellbeing; that was their duty and their responsibility and they neglected it in a terrible way,” he said.
Smith explained state rules say administrators at boarding schools basically stand in place of the parents of the students living there. So, it is the school’s responsibility to keep juveniles like Villalobos from walking on train tracks.
“This family was paying hard-earned money to the school to teach Jesus, to provide athletic services to Jesus, but, more importantly, to keep him safe,” Smith pointed out.
Sports agent Richard Mateer saw Villalobos play. He said Villalobos surely would have made money playing professionally.
“The family can use those funds to help other young players that can use that assistance,” he said of the suit’s demand for punitive damages.
Beyond money, Smith said the family wants the school to make changes, so there are no more scenes where Elev8 baseball players pay tribute to a lost teammate before a game.
Representatives from Elev8 Sports Institute did not comment on the lawsuit.
Calls to FEC were not returned.