TRAGIC

College Basketball Coach Pleads Not Guilty in Attack on NY Tourist

Police say a punch by Wake Forest assistant coach Jamill Jones led to the death of a man who mistook him for an Uber driver.

Wake Forest University assistant college basketball coach Jamill Jones has pleaded not guilty to assault charges in connection with a punch that authorities say led to the death of a New York City tourist. The 35-year-old Jones allegedly punched Sandor Szabo, also 35, early Sunday morning, when the tourist knocked on his car window after apparently mistaking the basketball coach for his Uber driver. The punch caused Szabo to fall and hit his head on the sidewalk. Szabo later died, and Jones was arrested for assault on Thursday. “This was a tragic accident, and Mr. Jones and his family send their deepest condolences and their thoughts and prayers to the Szabo family,” Jones’ attorney, Alain Massena, told the Associated Press. Jones, who is due for a court appearance in the case on Oct. 2, had been working at Wake Forest since May 2017, and previously worked as a coach at universities like Central Florida, Virginia Commonwealth and Florida Gulf Coast. Szabo, whose family said he was in New York for a wedding, was taken off life support on Tuesday.