SANTO DOMINGO (AP) - Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was arrested in a town west of the capital of the Dominican Republic following a “brawl” in the parking lot of an apartment building.
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Meregirdo Espinosa, spokesperson for the Western Region of the National Police, detailed on Monday to The Associated Press that one of the units received an emergency call on Sunday, indicating that in a residential area in San Juan de la Maguana, there was a disturbance involving several men, some carrying firearms, and a woman.
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Espinosa identified Franco as one of the two individuals who were arrested.
"The brawl occurred, according to the statement of one of the detainees, which was due to a fight over romantic reasons, a young woman is involved," said Espinosa. "The unit received an emergency call, reporting a fight at a residential area, with two individuals allegedly armed on the scene. As soon as the unit received the information, they headed to the location," he added.
Franco will face a trial starting on December 12 in the northern province of Puerto Plata for sexual abuse against a minor. The 23-year-old baseball player is currently out on bail.
The most serious charges that Franco will be facing are sexual assault of a minor, for which he could receive sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years in prison, and human trafficking, which is punished in the Dominican Republic with sentences of 15 to 20 years.
The process has been carried out in Puerto Plata, where the minor is native, and where the events took place.
Selected to an All-Star Game for the first time in 2023, Franco was placed on the restricted list for a week on August 14, when MLB opened an investigation following a series of social media posts implying that the player had a relationship with a minor. MLB placed him on administrative leave since last May.