According to the Boston Globe on Saturday, the findings of Edward Davis, former Boston police commissioner, contradict Dominican’s theory about the crime.
Davis claimed to the newspaper that he had identified Cesar Peralta, a drug-trafficker, as the one who orchestrated the shooting. He placed a bounty against Ortiz and authorized the hit team that attempted to kill him. Dominican authorities refused to cooperate with the private investigation.
Peralta is currently being held in Puerto Rico without bail on unrelated charges, including conspiracy to import heroin and conspiracy to import cocaine. Peralta was extradited to U.S. territory on December 19, 2019, after the U.S. Treasury declared him a drug kingpin.
Joe Baerlein, Ortiz’s spokesperson, stated to the Globe that Davis’ findings were withheld in order for Ortiz’s safety until Peralta was taken into custody in the U.S.
Peralta was not charged with Ortiz’s shooting. Joaquin Perez Peralta, Peralta’s lawyer said that Peralta was not involved in the attempted murder of Ortiz.
Perez stated, “As bad and horrible as Cesar Peralta may be, it’s still not close to being in the ballpark of being able to say that he had anything to do with this.”
Perez described Ortiz, Peralta, as “close friends.” Ortiz said that he only knew Peralta casually, and that he was “sad and confused, angry, and all kinds of emotions” when he heard the news from Davis, Ric Prado (a former high-ranking CIA officer who participated in the inquiry).
Authorities in Dominican have stated that the target was Sixto Fernandez, who was sitting at a table with Ortiz at the time. Authorities claim that the hit men mistook Fernandez for Ortiz, one the most well-known Dominican ballplayers.
Treisteen people were charged in connection to Ortiz’s shooting, and they are currently awaiting trial in Dominican Republic.
Baerlein stated Ortiz was awaiting further legal action in Dominican and U.S courts to clarify why this happened.
Ortiz, a 10-time All-Star who helped the Red Sox win their 86-year drought in 2004, batted.688 against St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, to win the Series MVP.
Ortiz, who had 541 home runs in 2016, retired and the team retired No. 34. In January, he was the first person to vote for him in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ortiz had a Boston home and lived part of the year in Dominican Republic. He sustained serious injuries in the shooting on June 9, 2019. After the shooting, Ortiz was taken to the Dominican Republic for his gallbladder removal and part of his intestine surgery.
Ortiz stated to the Globe that he would like to know why anyone would want him dead but that “the most important thing” is, “Thank God I’m alive.”
