'Red Flash' teen charged for ballpark antics

A Philadelphia teenager who dressed up from head to toe in red spandex like some sort of superhero and ran on the field of Citizens Bank Park Monday night now faces criminal charges, police said.

The 17-year-old, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, was charged today with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, defiant trespass and disrupting a meeting. The meeting in question was the Monday night game at Citizens Bank Park that ended with a 3-1 victory by the Phillies over the Atlanta Braves.

The teen ran onto the field during the seventh inning with ballpark security guards in stumbling pursuit and TV cameras following the action. The Red Flash was finally brought down by Braves leftfielder Matt Diaz, who tripped the intruder with his leg.

The teen is at least the third male charged this year with running on the field during a Phils game. One of the others, also a teen, was stopped when a police officer shot him with a Taser. The teen was being held Tuesday morning at the Youth Study Center.    - Inquirer staff