Intoxicated Teen Died After Backyard Wrestling Match: Cops

ROMEOVILLE, IL — An intoxicated teen died after he participated in a backyard “wrestling match,” police said, and his opponent in the bout was locked up on a felony charge.

Chris Guzman, 20, was arrested last month on a charge of aggravated battery for allegedly strangling Dyante Randolph while they were wrestling in May 2015.

The Romeoville police recently released heavily redacted reports on what supposedly preceded Randolph’s death. The 19-year-old had been at a party on Karen Avenue with about seven others, according to the reports.

During the party, according to one witness, friends of Guzman were “acting like ‘idiots’ and ‘manhandling each other,’” a report said.

Guzman lived at the residence where the party was held.

Randolph and Guzman reportedly wrestled with each other and an unconscious Randolph was later taken to his Kingston Drive home. He died at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital the next night.

Randolph was killed by a lack of oxygen to his brain, police said.

“It was listed that this occurred as a consequence of combined drug intoxication and stress due to a physical altercation,” a report said.

Romeoville police Cmdr. John Ferdinardo failed to respond to repeated inquiries about the case.

A witness is quoted in the police reports as saying the “wrestling was playful and did not appear violent.”

Guzman was not charged until March 15. Just two weeks before that, a prosecutor, Jim Long, told Randolph’s family that there might not be a case at all, according to police.

“Long advised (redacted) that the case may not be charged and he explained to the family the reasoning behind not charging the case,” a report said.

Prosecutors changed their mind after taking a second look at the case, said Charles B. Pelkie, a spokesman for the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“The charge takes into account the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, including that the investigation indicates this was a consensual wrestling match in which the victim died,” Pelkie said. “Our office considered the case very carefully before moving forward with the charge that we filed.”

Guzman remains in custody at the Will County jail. His bond was set at $100,000.