Investigators: David Ortiz Was Alleged Target Of $8,000 Hit
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Investigators say a hired hitman allegedly tried to take out a baseball superstar in a sophisticated plot.
This surveillance video shows the gunman shooting David Ortiz at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic last weekend. Now, authorities say they've caught the shooter and several other suspects in a murder-for-hire plot.
At first, it looked like the shooting of the former Boston Red Sox star and Minnesota Twins player could have been a failed robbery. Now, it seems this was actually an assassination attempt.
RELATED: David Ortiz Undergoes More Surgery After Shooting
Dominican police officials say a group of criminals was paid around $8,000 to take out the man known around the world as "Big Papi."
Authorities believe Rolfy Ferreyra Cruz shot Ortiz in the back Sunday night at point-blank range at a nightclub.
Calling it a sophisticated hit job, police say the crime involves two vehicles and multiple suspects. Cruz was riding on a motorcycle driven by Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia, who's been charged as an accomplice. His attorney says Garcia had no idea what was going on and wasn't involved in the plot.
Several others are also behind bars for their involvement in the alleged hit. The shooting has shaken those close to the slugger, including his former teammates.
Right now, Ortiz is recovering from two surgeries at a hospital in Boston. His wife says he will remain in the ICU for the coming days and that he is stable, awake and resting comfortably.
During the surgery, doctors removed Ortiz's gallbladder and part of his intestine. He also suffered some liver damage but is expected to make a full recovery.