A 25-year-old Venezuelan woman, María Fernanda Villasmil Manzanilla, who was sought in connection with a shooting that seriously injured Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz nearly five years ago, has been apprehended, as announced by the Dominican Republic National Police.
The arrest of Villasmil Manzanilla, which took place on Tuesday, was made based on a red notice issued shortly after the June 2019 incident in the Dominican Republic, according to a social media post from Dominican authorities.
David Ortiz, a pivotal figure in the Red Sox’s three World Series victories, was shot on June 9, 2019, at a bar in Santo Domingo while seated with a friend, Sixto David Fernandez. The assailant, who approached on a motorcycle, shot Ortiz in the back from close range.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic stated that the intended target of the shooting was Fernandez, but the gunman mistakenly targeted Ortiz, one of the most renowned Dominican baseball players.
Following the shooting, Ortiz was swiftly transported in a private SUV to receive medical attention, where he underwent an initial surgery to save his life, during which his gallbladder and a section of his intestine were removed. He was subsequently flown to Boston via an air ambulance arranged by the Red Sox and underwent two more surgeries at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Ortiz made his first public appearance approximately three months after the incident, when he threw out the first pitch before a game between the Red Sox and their rivals, the New York Yankees, at Fenway Park.
