An overly jubilant fan spoiled the party atmosphere after his favorite team Atlético Bucaramanga’s Colombian Primera A championship by grabbing a players’ medal.
Footage shows Atlético Bucaramanga defender Carlos Henao surrounded by supporters at the Américo Montanini Stadium on Sunday, one night after the team won its first title in its 75-year history.
A fan, identified as Juan Luna, approaches Henao to congratulate him and then steps away. He waits for a few seconds as other fans join in to pose for photos and takes advantage of the fact that Henao is about to do an interview with Win Sports and reportedly unties the ribbon behind Henao’s back.
Henao then notices that the medal is missing and looks at the ground as Luna allegedly puts it in his pocket.
Luna boldly posed with the medal in a photo shared on social media at the same time the video went viral.
Sebastian Luna posed daringly with the medal he allegedly removed from the neck of Atlético Bucaramanga defender Carlos Henao during a celebration Sunday, a night the club won the Primera A football championship. The medal was presented by the Mayor’s Office to commemorate the club’s first ever title in the team’s 75-year history
Sebastian Luna saw Carlos Henao distracted by fans congratulating him as he prepared for an interview with a sports media outlet, when he reportedly untied the ribbon supporting the commemorative medal.
His mother, Carmenza Rodríguez, a longtime fan of Bucaramanga, was embarrassed by his alleged actions and alerted police three hours after the incident.
She recovered the medal, which was presented to the winning club by the mayor’s office, and presented it to local authorities early Monday.
Luna, who was arrested, posted a defiant message on Facebook claiming he had committed no crime.
‘To steal? I work day in and day out and am after everything,” he wrote.
“Thank God I even helped a little or a lot of people, that’s why I’m doing well in life. Anyone who knows me knows it.
‘The apology is for my friends, my (team) supporter group, my club and my family.’
Sebastian Luna is escorted by authorities in Bucaramanga, Colombia, after his mother alerted police that she was in possession of the medal he allegedly stole from Atlético Bucaramanga defender Carlos Henao
The office of the mayor of the Colombian city of Bucaramanga presented each member of Atlético Bucaramanga with a special medial to celebrate the club’s first ever football title
The medal was returned to Henao, who compared Luna to Judas, in an interview with Blu Radio.
“First he told me I was the best and then he took the medal away from me,” Henao said.
‘I realized it when I lost the weight on my chest. He came out of nowhere and was very fast. So then you had to wait until you had it in your hands again.
Luna’s fan club Southern Leopard Fortress has since released a statement condemning his alleged behavior.
“Our fan club is not and will never be complicit in these types of actions,” it said. “The person who personally committed this action AND DOES NOT REPRESENT the values and virtues of our collective.”