Suspected Ortiz shooter among six suspects in custody in Dominican Republic
The suspects involved in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz got paid $7,800 for the hit, according to authorities; Steve Harrigan reports from Santo Domingo.
One of the suspects sought in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz is believed to be the same man wanted in attempted homicide in Pennsylvania, according to a district attorney.
Luis Rivas-Clase, 31, is charged in an April 2018 shooting in Reading, located about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
The victim, who was shot in the lower back, told authorities at the time that Rivas-Clase threatened to have him killed a few days before the shooting, according to the Berks County sheriff's office.
A mug shot released by Pennsylvania officials resembles a suspect sought in the shooting of Ortiz in the Dominican Republic, who had the same name but without the hyphen listed in U.S. court documents, according to authorities.
Luis Rivas Clase is still sought in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, and is believed to be the same suspect in a Pennsylvania shooting. (AP)
The brazen ambush Sunday night at a Santo Domingo bar left Ortiz, 43, and two others wounded.
The 31-year-old is among a group of four still being pursued in the shooting, which witnesses said was carried out by two men on a motorcycle, assisted by two other groups of people in cars.
SUSPECTED GUNMAN AMONG 6 DETAINED IN DAVID ORTIZ SHOOTING INVESTIGATION
Berks County District Attorney John Adams told the Associated Press on Thursday that based on the images in the mug shots, and the name match, he believes it's the same suspect. Confirmation, however, would have to come through a fingerprint match.
"Since this individual would be subject to charges in the Dominican Republic, the chance of us getting him back is frankly far-fetched," he told the AP.
Police arrest second suspect in Ortiz shooting
David Ortiz is recovering in Boston following a second surgery for a gunshot wound; Steve Harrigan reports from La Romana, Dominican Republic.
Rivas-Clase separately faces charges of providing false identification to law enforcement and driving without a license stemming from an October traffic stop in Reading. Bail was set at $10,000 and records obtained by the AP show a bail bondsman posted bond on Nov. 29.
The 31-year-old skipped bail and was subsequently declared a fugitive, according to an online docket.
MAN LINKED TO DAVID ORTIZ SHOOTING TO BE CHARGED WITH ACCOMPLICE TO ATTEMPTED MURDER
Among the suspects in custody in connection to the Ortiz shooting was the alleged shooter, identified by authorities as Rolfy Ferreyra, aka Sandy, a skinny, tattooed 25-year-old who officials said had confessed to the shooting.
In a statement, officials said the weapon used, a Browning Hi Power semi-automatic pistol, had been handed to suspect Oliver Moises Mirabal Acosta, then to suspect Porfirio Allende Dechamps Vasquez, AKA The Kid, who buried it in the garden of his home. Both men have been arrested and the gun has been recovered.
This combination of photos provided by the Dominican Republic National Police on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 show suspects in connection with the shooting of former Red Sox star David Ortiz in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Police identify the men as, top row from left, Rolfy Ferreyra, who has been identified as the shooter, Joel Rodriguez Cruz, Oliver Moises Mirabal Acosta, and Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia. Bottom row from left, Polfirio Allende Dechamps Vazquez, Luis Alfredo Rivas Clase and Reynaldo Rodriguez Valenzuela. All the men with the exception of Rivas Clase have been detained. (Dominican Republic National Police via AP)
Also under arrest were Joel Rodríguez de la Cruz, aka Squiddy; Reynaldo Rodríguez Valenzuela, aka The Chinaman; and the suspected driver of the motorcycle, Eddy Vladimir Feliz García, aka The Package.
Many were caught in the same clothes they were seen wearing on surveillance video, the national police director, Maj. Gen. Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte, told reporters.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Ortiz was flown back to Boston and was recovering from the injuries. He was able to sit up and take some steps as he recuperates in Massachusetts General Hospital’s intensive care unit, his wife, Tiffany, said in a statement Wednesday.
“His condition is guarded, and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress toward recovery,” she said.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
