Surveillance video from a bar in the Dominican Republic shows a motorcyclist ambushing retired Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz and shooting him in the back at what police described as “nearly point-blank range.”
Officials in the country said that there were two male suspects on the motorcycle.
After shooting Ortiz, 43, they both tried getting back on the bike and driving off, but the motorcycle fell to the ground so they tried fleeing on foot.
One suspect escaped the area but the other was caught by bystanders and beaten.
A spokesperson for the Dominican National Police confirmed to TMZ that additional footage showing a man being beaten on the street outside the club, the Dial Bar and Lounge in Santo Domingo, was one of the suspects, identified as Eddy Feliz Garcia.
Garcia was arrested on suspicion of shooting Ortiz but has not been charged as of yet.
“A crowd of people subdued the suspect after the shooting and beat the hell out of him, leaving him bloodied and desperate for medical attention. When cops arrived, they were able to take him into custody and get him medical treatment,” TMZ reported.
Police have not named the second suspect, who was still on the run on June 10, a day after the shooting.
National police spokesperson Frank Felix Duran told CBS that Ortiz or Secreto, a singer who was with the baseball legend, could have been the target of a hit.
“We’re not ruling out any scenario. What we can rule out is that this wasn’t a robbery,” he said.
The suspect fired his gun without uttering a word, Duran added.
Authorities were waiting for the suspect to undergo treatment for his injuries before questioning him.
Ortiz’s father, Leo, told reporters he had no idea why someone would have shot at his son.
Surgery
After getting shot on Sunday, Ortiz was rushed to a medical clinic and underwent surgery.
Doctors removed David Ortiz’s gallbladder and part of his intestine, a spokesman said.
Leo Lopez said that the retired athlete’s liver was also damaged and that he was in stable condition in intensive care. He said Ortiz will be flown to Boston once his condition improves.
Dozens of fans crowded the hospital in Santo Domingo where Ortiz was being treated, causing a traffic jam. In the United States, fans prayed for his recovery.
Leo Ortiz, the legend’s father, told reporters: “He is resting. Big Papi will be around for a long time.”
The Red Sox said in a statement that Ortiz was wounded in the “lower back/abdominal region” and that the team offered his family “all available resources to aid in his recovery.”
Two other people were wounded, including Jhoel López, a Dominican TV host who was with Ortiz. Police believe López was wounded by the same bullet, Bautista said.
López was shot in the leg, and his injuries were not life-threatening, said his wife, Liza Blanco, who is also a TV host. Police did not identify the third person or detail that person’s injuries.
The bar is on Venezuela Avenue, a bustling nightlife district packed with dance clubs and expensive bars that Ortiz is known to frequent.
Ortiz, who retired after the 2016 season and lives at least part of the year in the Dominican Republic, is often seen getting his cars washed and hanging out with friends, including other baseball players, artists, and entertainers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
