Wrestling Star May Be Called in Drowning Case

Pro wrestling’s The Rock may be called to testify in the trial in Fort Lauderdale of a teenager accused in the drowning of an autistic 5-year-old boy, the defendant’s attorney said.

Gorman Roberts, 17, is accused of pushing Jordan Payne into a canal Feb. 10, then walking away laughing as the boy struggled. Roberts could get up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charges. No trial date has been set.

A boy has said that he, Roberts and a third child had watched a wrestling program featuring The Rock three days before the drowning, attorney Ellis Rubin said. If the boy repeats that statement under oath during a deposition, Rubin said, he will subpoena The Rock.

“Little boys imitate what they see on TV. If they hadn’t been watching wrestling, none of this might have happened,” Rubin said.