Skip to content
NOWCAST WXII 12 News at 11pm
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Venezuelan woman arrested in connection with shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz

Venezuelan woman arrested in connection with shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz
NEWSROOM. AND JEN, YOU JUST HEARD FROM DOMINICAN POLICE? YEAH. ED MARIA. I REACHED OUT TO LA POLICIA NACIONAL REPUBLICA DOMINICANA OR DR. NATIONAL POLICE. I ASKED THEM ABOUT THE ARREST OF 25 YEAR OLD MARIA FERNANDA VILLA. THEY WROTE RIGHT BACK AND TOLD ME, QUOTE, THEY’D REACH BACK OUT WHEN THEY COULD. THIS IS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN A STORY THAT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. THE LEGENDARY HALL OF FAME RED SOX PLAYER WAS SHOT AT A DOMINICAN NIGHTCLUB BACK IN 2019 AND NEARLY LOST HIS LIFE, BUT WAS FLOWN BACK TO BOSTON, UNDERWENT SEVERAL SURGERIES AND WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. HE’S ALWAYS SAID THAT HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT LED TO THE ATTACK. IN 2022, A DOMINICAN COURT CONVICTED TEN MEN INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING. WHAT WE KNOW TONIGHT IS THAT IN A FACEBOOK POST, POLICE SHARED THIS STATEMENT. IT BEGINS AGENTES POLICIALES EN AYER A UNA MUJER DE NACIONALIDAD VENEZOLANA. THEY ARRESTED A VENEZUELAN WOMAN YESTERDAY AS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE INCIDENT THAT INJURED DAVID ORTIZ AGAIN. 25 YEAR-OLD MARIA FERNANDA VILLASMIL HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN D.R. IN CONNECTION TO THE SHOOTING OF BIG PAPI IN 2019. AT THIS POINT, NOBODY IS CONFIRMING WHAT HER EXACT ROLE WAS IN THAT SHOOTING OR WHAT HER CONNECTION IS TO THE HALL OF FAMER. OF COURSE, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MOST RECENT ARREST, WE’LL BRING IT TO YOU ON AIR AND ONLINE, LIVE I
Advertisement
Venezuelan woman arrested in connection with shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz
A Venezuelan woman who was wanted in connection with a shooting that left Boston Red Sox icon David Ortiz seriously wounded nearly five years ago is now in custody, the Dominican Republic National Police announced.María Fernanda Villasmil Manzanilla, 25, was captured Tuesday on a red notice that was issued within weeks after the June 2019 shooting in the Dominican Republic, according to a social media post shared by Dominican authorities.Ortiz, who helped the Red Sox win three World Series titles, was shot on June 9, 2019, at a bar in Santo Domingo while sitting at a table with a friend, Sixto David Fernandez.The Baseball Hall of Famer was shot in the back at close range by a man who had gotten off a motorcycle.Dominican authorities said the target of the shooting was meant to be Fernandez and that the gunman confused Fernandez with Ortiz, one of the most famous Dominican baseball players ever.After the shooting, Ortiz was rushed in a private SUV to a medical facility where he underwent an initial surgery to save his life, as his gallbladder and part of his intestine were removed. Ortiz was later flown to Boston on an air ambulance sent by the Red Sox and underwent two additional surgeries at Massachusetts General Hospital.Ortiz made his first public appearance about three months after the shooting, as he threw out the first pitch before a game between the Red Sox and rival New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Ortiz hired former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to assist in the investigation into his shooting in the Dominican Republic. Davis's security firm was also previously hired to provide security protection for Ortiz.Ortiz’s communications adviser, Joe Baerlein of Baerlein and Partners, confirmed in March 2022 that following a six-to-seven-month investigation, Davis and former CIA Clandestine Services Officer Ric Prado determined that Caesar Emilio Peralta ordered the shooting of Ortiz. This finding contradicted the initial theory put forth by law enforcement in the Dominican Republic.Peralta, also known as "The Abuser" or "el Abusador," was extradited to the U.S. from Colombia in December 2021 to face drug trafficking charges filed in Puerto Rico. According to Puerto Rico’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, Peralta was the leader of a transnational criminal organization based in the Dominican Republic. Officials say the organization received multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and transported these to Puerto Rico and the continental United States.Baerlein told WCVB SportsCenter 5 that Ortiz and Peralta knew of each other because of Peralta's nightclubs and restaurants in Santo Domingo, but were not close.In December 2022, a Dominican court convicted 10 people involved in the shooting of Ortiz. Among the crimes for which the 10 men were sentenced were criminal organization, use of illegal firearms, attempted murder, and complicity, the court wrote in a statement.Two men, including the alleged shooter Rolfi Ferreyra Cruz, were each sentenced to 30 years in prison by Santo Domingo’s First Collegiate Court. Eight others received prison sentences of between five and 20 years. Three other defendants were acquitted due to insufficient evidence, including Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez, who was accused by Dominican authorities of planning the attack.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

A Venezuelan woman who was wanted in connection with a shooting that left Boston Red Sox icon David Ortiz seriously wounded nearly five years ago is now in custody, the Dominican Republic National Police announced.

María Fernanda Villasmil Manzanilla, 25, was captured Tuesday on a red notice that was issued within weeks after the June 2019 shooting in the Dominican Republic, according to a social media post shared by Dominican authorities.

Advertisement

Ortiz, who helped the Red Sox win three World Series titles, was shot on June 9, 2019, at a bar in Santo Domingo while sitting at a table with a friend, Sixto David Fernandez.

The Baseball Hall of Famer was shot in the back at close range by a man who had gotten off a motorcycle.

Dominican authorities said the target of the shooting was meant to be Fernandez and that the gunman confused Fernandez with Ortiz, one of the most famous Dominican baseball players ever.

After the shooting, Ortiz was rushed in a private SUV to a medical facility where he underwent an initial surgery to save his life, as his gallbladder and part of his intestine were removed. Ortiz was later flown to Boston on an air ambulance sent by the Red Sox and underwent two additional surgeries at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Ortiz made his first public appearance about three months after the shooting, as he threw out the first pitch before a game between the Red Sox and rival New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Ortiz hired former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to assist in the investigation into his shooting in the Dominican Republic. Davis's security firm was also previously hired to provide security protection for Ortiz.

Ortiz’s communications adviser, Joe Baerlein of Baerlein and Partners, confirmed in March 2022 that following a six-to-seven-month investigation, Davis and former CIA Clandestine Services Officer Ric Prado determined that Caesar Emilio Peralta ordered the shooting of Ortiz. This finding contradicted the initial theory put forth by law enforcement in the Dominican Republic.

Peralta, also known as "The Abuser" or "el Abusador," was extradited to the U.S. from Colombia in December 2021 to face drug trafficking charges filed in Puerto Rico. According to Puerto Rico’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, Peralta was the leader of a transnational criminal organization based in the Dominican Republic. Officials say the organization received multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and transported these to Puerto Rico and the continental United States.

Baerlein told WCVB SportsCenter 5 that Ortiz and Peralta knew of each other because of Peralta's nightclubs and restaurants in Santo Domingo, but were not close.

In December 2022, a Dominican court convicted 10 people involved in the shooting of Ortiz. Among the crimes for which the 10 men were sentenced were criminal organization, use of illegal firearms, attempted murder, and complicity, the court wrote in a statement.

Two men, including the alleged shooter Rolfi Ferreyra Cruz, were each sentenced to 30 years in prison by Santo Domingo’s First Collegiate Court. Eight others received prison sentences of between five and 20 years. Three other defendants were acquitted due to insufficient evidence, including Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez, who was accused by Dominican authorities of planning the attack.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.