Kidnapped mother of Pirates player Elias Diaz reportedly rescued
PITTSBURGH -- The mother of Pirates catcher Elias Diaz has been rescued after being kidnapped last week, CBS Pittsburgh reports. Multiple reports out of Venezuela say at least six people were detained Saturday after confessing that they were involved in the kidnapping. Five of those detained were reportedly police officers, including an officer who lived next door to Diaz.
The governor of the Venezuelan state of Zulia tweeted Sunday that Diaz's mother, Ana Soto, was rescued by security forces.
1. Gracias a Dios, hoy, nuestros cuerpos de seguridad rescataron a la señora Ana Soto, madre del grandeliga zuliano, Elías Diaz. Quiero felicitar a POLISUR, CICPC y CPBEZ por las labores de inteligencia que permitieron este desenlace feliz.
— Omar Prieto, Gobernador! (@OmarPrietoGob) February 11, 2018
The Pirates have not yet released a statement confirming these reports.
Venezuelan media reported the kidnapping Thursday.
Pirates President Frank Coonelly released a statement that day saying they were using all available resources to support Diaz and his family and working with the authorities to ensure his mom's safe return.
Diaz played 64 games for Pittsburgh in 2017, hitting .223 with 19 RBIs and 18 runs.
In 2016, then Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in Venezuela. Ramos was seized at gunpoint outside his family's home in the city of Valencia and was rescued by police commandos two days later in the mountains of Carabobo state. Venezuelan authorities formally charged eight suspects in connection with his kidnapping.