Man Charged With Murder In OKC Baseball Bat Beating Death

An Oklahoma man jailed for hitting and killing a man with a bat during a baseball brawl has now been charged with first degree murder.<br />

Friday, May 2nd 2014, 1:57 pm

By: News 9

Man Charged With Murder In OKC Baseball Bat Beating Death

An Oklahoma man jailed for hitting and killing a man with a bat during a baseball brawl has now been charged with first degree murder.

This despite his claim that he was acting in self defense.

The Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office filed a first degree murder charge late Thursday afternoon.

The court document states Eric Noyola willfully and unlawfully killed Ricky Betancur with malice afterthought by hitting him in the skull with a baseball bat. They are also charging him with being drunk when he did it.

Both Noyola and Betancur were at the Boomer Sports Complex watching friends play baseball two weeks ago, when a fight broke out in the parking lot shortly after midnight. Police report more than a hundred people were there during the fight, and that Noyola approached the on duty deputy saying a group of people were trying to fight him.

Both Noyola and his attorney admit he started swinging a bat during the fight, and that it hit Betancur in the head, but they are claiming self-defense. We talked with one of Ricky's cousins earlier this week who said that just can't be true.

"They claim that they were trying to hit him in the arm or in the chest," said Amy Sanders. "I just have a hard time believing that somebody could be that far off."

This evening there will be a home run derby at Fairmoore Park in Moore to raise money for the family. It starts at 7 p.m.

Boomer Sports complex is also holding a baseball tournament this Saturday at their ball field to help raise money for Ricky's family.

An account has also been set up at First Fidelity bank.