An Olympic-qualifying boxer is accused of knocking an aunt unconscious during a family Fourth of July party — just days after she made her professional debut.
Kayla Gomez, 22, allegedly got into a fight with the relative over decorations that had been put up at the gathering for her baby daughter, who was celebrating a birthday, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the El Paso Times.
Gomez, who had just made her pro boxing premiere on June 19 in California after notching 18 amateur national championships, bashed the relative in the head with both fists when the argument turned physical, leaving her with “visible injuries,” according to police.
The aunt could not recall exactly how many times she had been punched because the blows caused her to black out, according to the affidavit.
Police were called to the house in Anthony, Texas — just outside of El Paso — around 3:30 p.m. Saturday and found the aunt with a bloody upper lip and suffering pain on both sides of her face, according to the report. She declined being taken to the hospital but wanted to press charges.
However, the rising pugilist denied being to blame, even though witnesses told cops she was the aggressor.
“There are two sides to every story, and I didn’t hit anybody,” Gomez commented on local news outlet KFOX14’s Instagram post about the incident.
“Also, she wasn’t family, that was a crazy step-aunt who attacked me with my baby in my arms on her birthday,” she maintained.
The boxer was arrested for assault and booked at the El Paso County jail. She was released Sunday after posting a $2,500 bond.
She was back flexing her muscles in the gym on Monday, according to a post on her Instagram account, which boasts nearly 55,000 followers.
Gomez has emerged as one of El Paso’s most accomplished young boxers, having qualified for the US Olympic boxing team in 2021, KFOX14 reported.
The City of El Paso declared May 24, 2022 as Kayla Gomez Day in her honor.
She won her first professional fight in California after taking time off from the sport to have a baby.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
