David Ortiz back in Boston after being shot in the Dominican Republic
The Boston Red Sox provided an air ambulance to get former big league slugger David Ortiz back to Boston where he is now under the care of doctors at Mass General Hospital; Molly Line reports.
A spokeswoman for the national prosecutor's office in the Dominican Republic said a second person has been arrested in the investigation into the shooting of former Red Sox star David Ortiz.
There is no public indication the man is the suspected shooter. Spokeswoman Julieta Tejeda reported the arrest to a group of journalists via WhatsApp on Tuesday night but declined to provide further details.
DAVID ORTIZ 'RESTING COMFORTABLY' AFTER UNDERGOING SECOND SURGERY, WIFE SAYS
The former Red Sox slugger, known as "Big Papi," was shot in the torso Sunday night at the Dial Bar and Lounge in Santo Domingo.
Police had already arrested the driver of the motorcycle Sunday after he was captured and beaten by the crowd at the scene. Eddy Vladimir Féliz Garcia, 25, who had a 2017 arrest for drug possession, is to be charged with being an accomplice to attempted murder for his alleged role in the targeted shooting, The Boston Globe reported.
Police did not confirm the suspects' motive, but a rep for Ortiz, Leo Lopez, said, “There is not a single doubt that this was an act of hired killers.” Féliz Garcia's lawyer, Deivi Solano, told the Associated Press that his client had no idea who he’d picked up and what was about to happen when he stopped to take a fare. "He's a fan of David's," Solano added.
Ortiz is now recovering from exploratory surgery in Boston, where he was flown Monday night by the Red Sox. Ortiz's wife, Tiffany, said in a statement earlier Tuesday that the player is "stable, awake and resting comfortably" in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is expected to remain there several days. Dominican doctors removed Ortiz's gallbladder and part of his intestine.
Two other people were injured in the shooting, including Dominican TV host Jhoel Lopez who was with Ortiz. Officials believe Lopez was injured by the same bullet that entered Ortiz, National Police Director Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte said, according to the Boston Herald.
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Ortiz brought the Red Sox to three World Series championships, was a 10-time All-Star and hit 541 home runs during his career. He was hailed as a hero in Boston for rallying the city after the Boston Marathon bombing. He retired after his 2016 season and lives part of the year in the Dominican Republican, where he is known to frequent the nightlife scene.
Fox News' Frank Miles and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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