A former child actor who starred in the 1993 film “The Sandlot” has been charged with assault in relation to an alleged Halloween beating, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said Tuesday.
Michael Vitar, who played Benjamin Franklin “Benny the Jet” Rodriguez in the film, faces up to four years in state prison if convicted.
According to the district attorney’s office, Vitar — who’s now a Los Angeles firefighter — was attending a party hosted by another off-duty firefighter when they and a neighbor became upset with a 22-year-old man who was visiting his grandmother and handing out candy to children while he walked down the street.
The three men allegedly chased down the other man and jumped him, forcing him to the ground before the other firefighter choked him.
During his acting career, Vitar, now 36, also appeared in “D2: The Mighty Ducks” and “D3: The Mighty Ducks.”
After going on to join the LAFD, Vitar was in 2003 for rescuing fellow firefighters when the roof of a Hollywood Hills home collapsed while they were trying to put the fire out.
The three suspects are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 21.