Embattled Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was arrested Monday after meeting with prosecutors in the Dominican Republic investigating the 22-year-old star on accusations of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, a government official with knowledge of the case told the Associated Press.
Franco spent nearly three hours under questioning at the Puerto Plata province prosecutor’s office, the AP reported, citing a source who spoke to the news outlet on condition of anonymity. He was then arrested for skipping a scheduled appointment last Thursday with prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías, according to ESPN.
On Dec. 26, police officers and prosecutors searched fruitlessly for Franco at two homes he keeps in Baní, about 40 miles from the capital of Santo Domingo, according to authorities.
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Reached by phone on Monday night, Franco’s attorney, Jay Reisinger, told The Daily Beast, “I’m in the process of communicating with his lawyers in the Dominican, and until I have a full discussion with them, it would be inappropriate to comment.”
Franco first came under investigation in August, after social media postings that suggested he was sexually involved with an underage girl, the prosecutor’s office said.
Franco allegedly could be tied to three or more minors, two of whom have filed lawsuits against him, according to ESPN. Major League Baseball placed Wander on paid administrative leave following the accusations, and MLB launched an independent investigation of its own.
Franco must be given a hearing before a judge within 24 hours, according to Dominican law. The Rays have not commented about the allegations except to say the team stood behind MLB’s decision to suspend him. Franco is two years into an 11-year, $182 million contract.
