Private investigator hired by David Ortiz says drug kingpin targeted slugger in 2019 shooting
Former Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz prepares to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Boston, Sept. 9, 2019. A Dominican drug trafficker orchestrated the shooting of Ortiz at a Dominican nightclub in 2019 because he felt disrespected by him and jealous, according to private investigators hired by Ortiz. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
A private investigator hired by former Major League Baseball player David Ortiz found that a drug kingpin who was jealous and felt disrespected by the Boston Red Sox legend had him shot in 2019.
The Boston Red Sox slugger was shot on June 9, 2019, in the back by a motorcyclist who approached Ortiz, who was sitting at a table at a bar in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
According to the Boston Globe, Ortiz hired former Boston police commissioner Edward Davis to look into who was behind him being shot.
During his six-month investigation, Davis found that drug-trafficker César Peralta orchestrated the hit, placed a bounty on Ortiz, and sanctioned the hit squad that tried to kill him.
The newspaper reported that Davis came to this conclusion after US law enforcement officials gathered and shared the information with him.
Peralta's attorney Joaquin Perez said his client had nothing to do with the shooting, even describing Peralta and Ortiz as "close friends," the Associated Press reported.
Ortiz told the newspaper that he only had a casual relationship with Peralta.
Thirteen people are charged in relation to the Baseball Hall of Fame electees shooting and are awaiting trial in the Dominican Republic.
Peralta is currently in Puerto Rico, being held without bond on unrelated conspiracy charges to import cocaine and heroin.