Mexican soap star appears in Miami court over alleged punching death; bail set at $50G

Mexican soap opera star Pablo Lyle appearing in Miami-Dade, Fla., circuit court on Monday. (David Ovalle/Miami Herald via AP)

Pablo Lyle, a Mexican soap opera star, appeared in a Florida court on Monday after he allegedly punched a man -- who later died -- during a road rage incident late last month.

A judge set Lyle's bail at $50,000 and ordered that the 32-year-old actor be placed on house arrest in Miami. Assistant State Attorney Genevieve Valle had asked for bail to be set at $1 million as her team investigated.

Lyle, a star on the telenovela "Mi Adorable Maldición," was arrested last Monday on a felony battery charge. At the time, he posted $5,000 bond and was allowed to travel back to Mexico. However, the judge set new conditions for Lyle's release after 63-year-old Juan Ricardo Hernandez, the man he allegedly punched, died days later.

MAN, 63, DIES AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEING PUNCHED BY MEXICAN SOAP OPERA STAR DURING ROAD RAGE INCIDENT 

"We need to protect the community," Valle, who indicated she may charge Lyle with second-degree murder, told the judge. "The defendant left the victim lying on the street."

Defense attorneys said Lyle would post bail Monday, leave jail and stay at an undisclosed home in the Miami area wearing an ankle monitor.

As previously reported, Lyle was accused of punching Hernandez, who then fell and suffered a brain injury, according to the Miami Herald. Hernandez was said to be "unresponsive, intubated" at the time of Lyle’s arrest, the news outlet reported citing a police report. Hernandez died Thursday night.

Pablo Lyle (Rodrigo), right, in a scene of “Mi Adorable Maldición." (Las Estrellas Network)

The incident occurred on March 31 when Lyle was traveling in a car to the Miami International Airport with his family. The car carrying Lyle allegedly cut off another car on the Dolphin Expressway. The two automobiles stopped at a light and the driver of the car, who was identified as Hernandez, allegedly got out of his vehicle and banged on the window of the other car.

The actor’s brother-in-law, who was not identified, got out of the car to tell Hernandez not to bang on his window but saw the vehicle roll away and ran after it, the Herald reported citing the arrest report. The brother-in-law said that he did not see Lyle punch the victim but that the soap opera star ran into the car and told him to "drive away."

Surveillance video of the incident obtained by the Herald showed a man putting up his hands before he was punched. The man was seen falling to the ground after being hit.

In court on Monday, Lyle's attorney, Philip Reizenstein, said his client was the victim of a road rage incident and was trying to protect his family when he allegedly punched Hernandez. Lyle's wife, his two young children and another young child were in the vehicle when the confrontation happened, he said.

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"This was about a peaceful man protecting his family. They were assaulted and attacked without warning or provocation," Reizenstein told news reporters after the hearing.

An arraignment has been set for May 1.

Fox News' Kathleen Joyce and The Associated Press contributed to this report.